KEY POINTS:
Passenger numbers are up at Wellington Airport but a lack of capacity growth will constrain demand in the next 12 months, says infrastructure investor Infratil.
Infratil holds a 66 per cent stake in the airport, whose domestic and international passenger numbers rose last month by 4.2 per cent and 8.8 per cent respectively.
Load factors - the percentage of seats filled - were well ahead of last year and the airport expected a lack of capacity growth to constrain buoyant demand for travel in the next year.
Infratil said the experience at Wellington was just part of a bigger picture including an imbalance between demand and supply.
"There is an airline boom under way supported by high demand, constrained supply and, not surprisingly under those circumstances, significant increases in average fares."
February passenger numbers were up 6 per cent on last year at Glasgow Prestwick Airport and up nearly 30 per cent at Luebeck Airport.
Freight handled at Kent International Airport was up nearly 50 per cent on last year at 2408 tonnes.
Infratil's shares closed down 3c yesterday at $5.47.
