AIA - September 2023 Monthly traffic update & October Preview

Friday 17th November 2023

For September 2023, total passenger volumes at Auckland Airport increased by 26% compared to September 2022 and were 90% of the September 2018 pre-COVID equivalent, the last full year not impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. International passengers (excl. transits) increased by 58% versus September 2022 and represent 91% of the September 2018 equivalent. Transit passengers were up 32% compared to September 2022, representing 70% of September 2018 equivalent. Domestic passengers for September 2023 increased by 4% compared to September 2022 and represented 91% of September 2018 pre-COVID equivalent.

Key Points:

• International passengers (excl. transits) continued to recover in the month reaching 91% of the pre-COVID equivalent, up on the 85% recovery in August 2023, the same as the domestic passenger recovery of 91%;

• Strong inbound holiday demand drove the increase in international passengers with Australian school holidays commencing mid to late September and China’s mid-Autumn public holiday 29th and 30th September leading into the Golden Week (1st to 7th October). New Zealand outbound demand was robust with the school holidays starting on 22nd September;

• Passenger volume on the Pacific Island routes recovered to the same levels as September 2018 with 118k passengers travelling, improving load factors by +4ppts. The Tasman route was most popular with 317k passengers, followed by Asia 213k and Americas 80k;

• Passengers on the domestic network increased by 4% compared to September 2022, with an average of 23k passengers traveling daily in the month;

• Queenstown Airport international passenger numbers increased 28% on the year prior and domestic passengers decreased 7% on the same month last year.

October 2023 Monthly traffic preview

For October 2023, total passenger volumes at Auckland Airport increased by 20% compared to October 2022 and were 86% of the October 2018 pre-COVID equivalent, the last full year not impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. International passengers (excl. transits) increased by 43% versus October 2022 and represent 87% of the October 2018 equivalent. Transit passengers were up 33% compared to October 2022, representing 71% of October 2018 equivalent. Domestic passengers for October 2023 increased by 1% compared to October 2022 and represented 87% of October 2018 pre-COVID equivalent.

Key Points:

• International passengers (excl. transits) increased by 5% compared to the prior month. The recovery relative to pre-COVID levels decreased from 91% in September 2023 to 87% due to the timing of the New Zealand school holidays which started 23rd September this year compared with almost all of the school holidays occurring within October in 2018, starting on 29th September;

• In late October, seasonal services from North America returned with Air Canada on Vancouver, American Airlines on Dallas (Los Angeles services to resume in December 2023), and United Airlines on Los Angeles. Delta also commenced year-round Los Angeles services with daily services until March 2024 and then decreasing to three per week during the New Zealand winter months;

• Passenger numbers on the mainland China route benefited from the Amway China distributor programme being held in New Zealand with close to 10k passengers expected to visit over October, November, and December;

• Passengers on the domestic network increased by 1% compared to October 2022, with load factors remaining elevated on the domestic routes compared to historic levels, at 87% across the entire network during October 2023. Demand on the Auckland to Wellington route is subdued because of a reduction in Government related travel both during and post-election.. Auckland to Wellington route achieved a relative recovery of 82% compared to October 2018 whilst the three other trunk routes recovered to 89%;

• Total passenger movements on the domestic network increased by 23k on the prior month, but declined to 87% of the pre-COVID level;

• Queenstown Airport international passenger numbers increased 25% on the year prior and domestic passengers decreased 10% on the same month last year.

September 2023 Monthly traffic update & October 2023 Monthly traffic preview

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