Departure levy to depart Rotorua Airport

Departure levy to depart Rotorua Airport

From February 1, 2015, passengers departing Rotorua Airport will no longer have to pay the $5 domestic departure levy or $15 international departure tax, with the charges to be built into airline ticket prices.

The departure levy was first introduced in 2002, to make a contribution to the ongoing development of the Airport. Rotorua Airport Chief Executive, Alastair Rhodes, says the upcoming changes follow a pricing consultation process with commercial airline customers.

“For some time passengers have been asking for the domestic departure levy to be included in the airline ticket price. We were also keen to do that, but we needed to work through a process with the airlines first,” says Mr Rhodes.

The adjustment to the Airport’s charges is a result of an increase in airfield charges, allowing the company to recover departure taxes from commercial airlines, rather than directly from passengers. The new charges will have a limited review every two years, with a major review in June 2020.

“In making this decision, we have carefully considered and measured the implication of increased costs to the airlines against our financial performance. This is a positive development for the Airport and its local community, and streamlines the departure process for travellers.

“Rotorua Airport already has a number of initiatives underway to improve airline services for Rotorua travellers and this is just one example.

“We are focused on working with airlines, regional airports and partners to ensure we are able to provide comprehensive travel options that meet the needs of our tourism and business sectors, as well as local residents.”

The revised landing charges apply to scheduled commercial passenger services from 1 February 2015. A review of non-scheduled commercial passenger service landing charges is also underway and is expected to conclude later in the year.

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