Passengers back our terminal upgrade, says Auckland Airport

“Nine in ten travellers wanted increased capacity to allow for more flights and potentially more airfare competition; 89 per cent wanted more space and modern seating areas; 88 per cent wanted better baggage handling systems; 87 per cent wanted faster processing and shorter queues; and 81 per cent wanted a short, indoor walk between domestic and international,” the airport said in a press release.

According to Auckland Airport chief customer officer, Scott Tasker, those surveyed generally reported “positive experiences” at the airport but said the overhaul was necessary.

“Not only did travellers back development at Auckland Airport, what they really cared about was smoother journeys – quick indoor walks from domestic to international travel, easy check through of bags from local to international flights, and faster processing and shorter queues,” Tasker said.

“That came through strongly in the survey results and it’s exactly what we’re very focused on delivering with our new integrated terminal as we bring domestic jet and international travel together under one roof.”

Auckland Airport says 20 per cent of works on the terminal integration, which will link the international and new domestic terminals, are now complete, with 35 per cent in delivery. When completed in 2028–29, the integrated terminal will replace the old domestic terminal, much of which dates from the 60s and 70s.

“Our current domestic terminal no longer has the capacity to manage more flights at peak times. For travellers that means tickets are harder to come by – and more expensive – when flying at popular times,” Tasker said.

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“We are addressing that with the new domestic jet terminal, which has 26 per cent additional capacity created by aircraft gates that can manage both widebody and narrowbody jet aircraft, with a further 10 per cent seat capacity available with dedicated domestic bus lounges.

“That flexibility allows for more flights, or airlines, through the daily peaks and the ability to add larger aircraft to accommodate the mass movement of people, whether that’s during holiday periods or when there’s a popular event such as a concert or sporting fixture.”

The integration program has been the subject of controversy, with airlines including Air New Zealand saying it will lead to “unaffordable airfares” due to increases in airport charges.

Auckland Airport charges, which are currently NZ$10.25 per passenger, will move to $15.45 by 2027, which the airport says is similar to other major airports in the country.

Greg Foran, CEO of Air New Zealand, said in February that while the new airport will “look great”, it will not include an additional runway or deliver much new capacity, and that “the value of the airport’s asset base, which dictates the size of its charges, will have increased per-passenger domestic charges five times, with more to come in the future”.