Yasi threat to Auckland Airport investment

Auckland Airport owns a 25 per cent stake in Cairns Airport which is directly in the cyclone's path. Photo / Supplied

Auckland Airport's two Australian investments are in the path of of Cyclone Yasi.

Auckland Airport spent $166 million in a 25 per cent stake in airports in Cairns and Mackay, further south, a year ago.

Cairns, directly in the cyclone's path, had been performing strongly with 39 per cent year on year growth reported in November last year.

An Auckland Airport spokesman said Cairns staff had spent yesterday battening down the hatches to ride the storm out.

The airport was closed to flights at 10am and staffed only by essential personnel.

"It's hard to predict what the damage might be - the main concern for anyone around the Cairns area is related to surge damage rather than wind damage."

The airport is low-lying, within 200m of the sea and forecasters have warned of the danger "extremely dangerous sea level rise" in the area.

Auckland Airport spent about $125 million on its Cairns buy to develop routes and boost passenger numbers to this country.

Airlines operating in Queensland have already reported a dip following last month's devastating floods in the south in the state.

The spokesman said the impact of the floods was not yet known.

"There's going to be an impact on operations but we hope that impact will be short term."