Airlines Frustrated At Passenger Congestion At Auckland International Airport

Airlines say they are just as frustrated as their customers are about the passenger congestion at Auckland International Airport.

Cath O’Brien, Executive Director of the Board of Airline Representatives (BARNZ) says travellers are facing unacceptable delays and it’s frustrating that airlines are facing a situation where Auckland Airport cannot process the number of passengers it has said it can.

“Airlines have booked and paid for passengers to arrive and depart from Auckland Airport. We need the airport to be well managed.

“The airport tells airlines it can receive 2150 passengers each hour on a rolling five-minute basis, and arrival slots are booked on that basis. Right now, the arrivals hall becomes extremely congested well below 2150 arriving passengers. The airport's own assessment of recent congestion events shows that the arrivals hall reaches inoperable levels when 1800 passengers are being processed through arrivals. The airport cannot deliver what it is selling.”

O’Brien says while passenger arrivals haven't yet recovered to pre-pandemic levels, there is increasing pressure on the Auckland Airport arrivals hall at peak times.

“Airlines have been working with the airport company, and with border agencies, to do anything possible to ease congestion. Some improvements have been made – including the introduction of the biosecurity express lane in recent months.

“However, despite some of these improvements, there are times where experiences for our customers are totally unacceptable.”

O’Brien says the airport needs to quickly improve the situation or it risks damaging New Zealand’s reputation internationally.

“The airport tells us that part of the problem is that airlines run late, or early, and cause congestion. Flight times rely on a whole range of things; a flight plan, take-off weight, weather, wind direction and offshore airport conditions. All these things contribute to slightly variable arrival times. Airports around the world manage this well every day.

“While the current school holiday period is busier, arrivals will increase significantly over the summer peak. This summer, we need to deliver an arrival experience that says, 'Welcome home.'”

About BARNZ

The Board of Airlines Representatives of New Zealand Inc. is the respected and trusted voice of the airline industry in New Zealand. We work closely with the Government, regulators, businesses, and local communities to provide cost savings and service improvements for our member airlines; and to create an environment that fosters continued, sustainable growth for them in NZ. For more information, please visit www.barnz.org.nz

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