Other bright spots were Auckland Airport achieving the busiest month for international travel since 2019 in December.
And 36,000 international travellers flowed through the terminal on January 5, the company’s busiest day in more than five years.
“Overall, however, growth in the international market has been softer than expected, particularly for inbound visitors,” she said.
Competitive market
“The global market to attract tourists is highly competitive, and that’s making it more challenging for New Zealand to secure additional airline routes and services.”
Chief executive Carrie Hurihanganui said capacity in the international market was flat during the half-year period at 89% compared to 2019 levels.
That was impacted by competition in the market and other factors such as Air New Zealand’s fleet issues.
She welcomed the Government’s commitment to boosting international tourism, including the new campaign to encourage visitors from Australia.
Hurihanganui said aeronautical and commercial activity was expected to be resilient, but uncertainty remained around seat capacity and New Zealand’s subdued local economy.
Auckland Airport narrowed its guidance of underlying profit after tax (excluding any fair value changes and other one-off items) from between $280m to $320m to a range of between $290m and $320m.
The company reconfirmed its guidance on capital expenditure of between $1 billion and $1.3b for the year.
Jamie Gray is an Auckland-based journalist, covering the financial markets and the primary sector. He joined the Herald in 2011.
