NZ Auckland airport passengers top 1mn again in August

Passenger numbers at New Zealand's busiest airport Auckland topped 1mn for a second straight month in August in a further sign of the country's jet fuel demand nearing pre-Covid-19 levels.

Around 1.12mn passengers used Auckland airport last month, down slightly from 1.16mn in July but up by almost 37pc from around 823,000 passengers in August 2021, operator Auckland Airport said.

August was also the first time that passenger numbers at the airport exceeded 1mn for two consecutive months since 1.6mn in February 2020 and 1.08mn in March 2020 when New Zealand first imposed travel restrictions to combat the spread of Covid-19. The Auckland Airport passenger data follow New Zealand's record jet fuel imports in July.

The return of passengers on international flights departing Auckland underpinned a rise in the airport's travel activity. International passengers totalling 474,000 last month rose by more than 310pc from 115,000 in August 2021 but were slightly lower that the post-March 2020 high of around 484,600 passengers in July this year.

International passenger movements recovered to 54pc of pre-Covid levels last month, an increase from 50pc in July. But passenger movements were marginally lower compared with the prior month, reflecting school holidays in July, Auckland Airport said.

Short-haul international passenger movements were 66pc of pre-Covid levels, with travel to Australia and the Pacific Islands at 65pc and 70pc respectively, Auckland Airport said. Cook Islands is still proving to be a popular destination for New Zealand travellers, recovering to 96pc compared with August 2018, while short-haul international travel to Fiji rose to 86pc of pre-Covid levels.

Long-haul international passenger movements were 36pc of pre-Covid levels. The recovery is 52pc of pre-Covid levels excluding destinations with more restrictive border policies such as China, Japan and Hong Kong.

Domestic passenger movements in August were 84pc of pre-Covid levels, a slight decrease of 4pc compared with July, Auckland Airport said.

By Kevin Morrison