KEY POINTS:
International travellers to Auckland are being promised a smoother and quicker passage with the opening of Auckland International Airport's new arrivals terminal.
The new area, which includes more immigration counters, was built after increasing congestion at peak periods over the past few years.
The building - which began operations on Tuesday but was officially opened yesterday - is part of a wider $135 million upgrade, and at 50 per cent larger than its predecessor is designed to cope with increasing user numbers over the next two decades.
About 13 million travellers use the airport - both domestic and international - each year, with that number tipped to rise to 24 million by 2025.
The new arrivals duty-free area, at 1600sq m, is the largest in the Pacific and Asia, and second only to Brazil globally.
Apart from providing a smoother service, the new arrivals area has been designed to reflect New Zealand's culture.
George Hickton, chief executive of Tourism New Zealand, said the welcome an international visitor received when they landed in a new country created a vital first impression which could set the scene for the rest of their visit.
As an arriving 747 prepared to disgorge its passengers yesterday, kaumatua performed a waiata as the dignitaries - including Customs Minister Nanaia Mahuta and Transport Minister Annette King - made their way through the new terminal.
A lengthy walk from the airbridges to immigration boasts 80m of travelator, though the device was turned off for the ceremony, possibly to prevent the accidental fast-tracking of visitors into the new area.
Cloud pictures decorate a row of internal windows that look into the drab offices typical of airports the world over, and solar-powered lighting is one of several green features in the terminal building.
Across the hallway, passengers can travelate their way to immigration while admiring impressive views of the runway area and the Manukau Harbour.
Other changes are planned for the terminal later in the year.
A secondary screening area for Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Biosecurity luggage x-rays is due for completion in June, while stage one of "Pier B" is set to open in October.
Pier B will initially have two contact gates - later expanding to 12.
The development will be specially designed to service the monster Airbus A380 aircraft Emirates intends to bring to New Zealand from next February.
In her opening speech, Ms Mahuta said the Government's attention was "firmly fixed" on Auckland as the country's "major international city" and a main point of entry for foreigners.
As more than 70 per cent of visitors entered through Auckland, it was vital the airport set a good example, and reducing immigration and customs waiting times would be a good start.
The aim was to get 90 per cent of passengers processed in 45 minutes at the most, and 98 per cent within an hour. A spokeswoman said the airport was meeting those figures.
THE NEW TERMINAL
* Arrivals area: 23,592sq m (up from 14,398sq m).
* Duty free area: 1618sq m (up from 888sq m).
* Passport control counters: 44 (up from 32).
* X-ray screening areas: 12 (up from eight).
* Travelators: 80 metres (up from 0 metres).
DUTY FREE MONOPOLY CREATES WAVES ON AIR
The subject of a duty free monopoly was a hot topic on talkback radio yesterday, as Auckland International Airport cut the ribbon on its new arrivals terminal.
Auckland International Airport's decision to cut back to just one duty free store has been a hot topic in the past few days.
Callers to Newstalk ZB have complained about customer waiting times and a lack of choice since Nuance Group - trading as Regency Duty Free - lost the right to share the market with DFS Group.
The move has run into trouble with the Commerce Commission, which has refused to let DFS buy 100 per cent of Nuance and says it will investigate the airport's decision to have only one duty-free shop.
In a press pack issued to media at yesterday's terminal opening, Auckland Airport defended its choice of DFS at Regency's expense.
Airport chiefs called in May last year for tenders for the operation of a single onsite duty free operator until June 2015, with DFS the successful tender.
It said single operator sites are already found in a number of airports in Asia and Australasia, including Sydney, Melbourne, Singapore and Hong Kong.
Despite a lack of competition on the premises, the airport argues a single operator can actually enhance customer choice by having the space to offer a wider range of products.
Though DFS had no direct competition at the airport, the shop faced competition from "high street" and online retailers, and parallel importers.
The 1600sq m DFS duty free store in the new arrival terminal is the second largest inbound duty free store in the world, and only 50sq m smaller than the biggest, in Brazil.
