Spring travel surge: Over 1 million travellers via AKL this September school holidays

• International departures expected to peak on Sunday 21 September with over 15,000 travellers at AKL
• International arrivals expected to be busiest on Friday 3 October with around 15,500 travellers
• Top destinations from AKL are Australia, China and Fiji
• The top country of origin for arrivals at AKL will be Australia, China and the US.

One million travellers are expected to go through Auckland Airport over the school holiday period from today – at least 6% up on the same period last year.

Numbers will be fairly evenly split between international and domestic travel with 530,000 customers expected to be flying overseas or arriving from abroad, and a similar number (477,000) travelling within New Zealand.

Auckland Airport Chief Customer Officer Scott Tasker said it was great to see New Zealander's enthusiasm for travel isn’t waning.

“Kiwis love to travel, whether that’s reconnecting with friends and family, taking a holiday in an exotic location, or building business connections face-to-face. Australia is our top international destination over the holidays, with outbound travel from New Zealand across the trans-Tasman growing 6% over the 12 months to June 2025.”

Other popular international destinations over the holidays include Fiji, China and the United States, with the peak day at international departures expected  on Sunday 21 September with over 15,000 travellers at AKL. For international arrivals it’s Friday 3 October with around 15,500 customers.

“Departures will see a spike in activity in the days leading into the school holidays, whereas arrivals will see more sustained growth in numbers, particularly from Saturday 27 September onwards. The international terminal will be a busy place, but we’ll have plenty of team members on hand to help travellers get where they need to be.”

Mr Tasker said there had been some exciting news recently from airlines about growth in international connectivity to and from New Zealand, including Jetstar announcing almost 180,000 extra seats a year to be flown from AKL to Australia. 

He said while the uplift in the number of seats flying was positive news for travellers, New Zealand’s international capacity remained -9% on pre-2019 levels (2025 calendar year) – even as international markets have already moved past full recovery.

“We’re actively out there attracting airlines to New Zealand to support the Government’s ambition for the local tourism industry and trade and there is strong interest in flying here. But the reality is it’s a globally competitive market in which these airlines are weighing up where to invest.

“On some of our key long-haul routes to and from New Zealand capacity is really tight and this contrasts with the picture globally, where aviation fully recovered over 12 months ago. Even Australia has seen a complete rebound, averaging a 4% capacity increase in 2025 over and above what they had back in 2019.”

Mr Tasker said it was vital New Zealand continued to work hard to recover direct international long-haul capacity, which was vital to attracting tourists.  

“New Zealand is a bucket list destination for many visitors – our natural beauty, unique culture and isolation are what attracts people here. But we are a long-haul destination, so making travel as seamless as possible with few stopovers is really important to our attractiveness as a destination in key visitor source markets.”

Ready for travel
Mr Tasker said high demand for travel and constrained seat capacity meant flights would likely be full over the school holidays. 

“It will be most noticeable during the international departures in the morning, where we’re expecting some flights to be fully booked. International terminal Customs and Aviation Security screening opens at 4:30am and my advice to travellers is to come prepared to ensure those processes run as smoothly as possible.

“For international travel, empty your pockets, take off any over the ankle footwear, or better still opt for a different shoe choice, but keep laptops and electronics in your carry-on bag along with liquids, aerosols and gels, so long as the containers are under 100mls.

It’s good to get across the rules for what can and can’t go in your checked luggage and carry-on, particularly for electronics and batteries, ahead of packing for your travels.

“On the way into New Zealand make your arrival easier by using the electronic NZ Travel Declaration and making sure you’ve disposed of all food, animal or plant products. During busy periods the express lane will be in operation, prioritising those with nothing to declare and making for a smoother arrival.” 

Domestic travel: AKL’s busiest days
Domestic departures have a triple peak across the Fridays, with Friday 19 September expected to be the busiest with over 15,000 travellers, followed by Friday 26 September and Friday 3 October. Domestic arrivals are forecast to have the busiest day on Friday 26 September with just over 14,000 travellers.

Christchurch is the top destination for domestic travel from AKL, followed by Wellington and Queenstown.

Mr Tasker said: “We’ve had lots of ongoing changes happening at the airport, as we’re underway with our significant infrastructure upgrades. There have been some changes to domestic parking, with part of Car Park M closed and moving into short-term parking only as construction gets underway for an expanded regional airfield. It’s best to check the Auckland Airport website for more information to plan your parking by booking online or get in touch with our customer service team by email, phone or direct message through our social media channels.”

Top travel tips

• Spring clean your carry-on: Check your bags before you leave home. Liquids, aerosols and gels must be in containers of 100ml or less for international travel. 
• Check your checked luggage: Make sure to remove loose batteries, power banks, ear buds and vapes from checked bags. The limits for what you can take in your carry-on are on the aviation.govt.nz website.
• Laptops can stay in your carry-on through security: Thanks to Aviation Security's new CT scanners, most travellers don’t need to remove laptops, tablets or phones during screening at international and domestic screening lanes.
• Be ready at security: Empty your pockets and remove ankle boots before screening to help keep the lines moving for everyone.
• Empty, then refill: Remember to empty your water bottle before international security. Customers can refill them at fountains once you’re through.
•  Download before you go: International arrivals can complete the NZ Traveller Declaration online or via the app or online for a faster arrival process: 
• Book your parking early: Pre-booking parking online guarantees the best value and choice, from Park & Ride to premium closer options.

Busiest days
International departures
Sunday 21 September
Friday 19 September
Saturday 20 September
International arrivals
Friday 3 October
Sunday 5 October
Saturday 4 October
Domestic departures
Friday 19 September
Friday 26 September
Friday 3 October
Domestic arrivals
Friday 26 September
Thursday 25 September
Friday 3 October