February 2021 Monthly traffic update and March 2021 preview

GENERAL

Fri, Apr 16 2021 08:30 am

February 2021 Monthly traffic update and March 2021 preview

-71.0% Auckland Airport total passenger volumes decreased by 71.0% in February 2021 versus last year. International passengers (excl. transits) were down 96.9%, transit passengers were down 96.4% and domestic passengers were down by 41.4%.

Key Points:

• The decline in total passengers for February 2021 reflects the impact of the travel restrictions imposed by the New Zealand Government in response to COVID-19. The closure of the New Zealand border from 20 March 2020 to all but New Zealand citizens and permanent residents has had a significant impact on international services.

• The Australian Government suspended quarantine-free travel to Australia from New Zealand on 15 February 2021 for six days following Auckland entering Alert Level 3 lockdown and the rest of New Zealand entering Alert Level 2 for three days. Three Australian states (Queensland, Victoria, and New South Wales) followed on by restricting travel bubbles with New Zealand and stopped all “green flights” coming from New Zealand on 24 February 2021.

• Domestic services in February 2021 were also impacted by further travel restrictions when Auckland re-entered Alert Level 3 at 11.59pm on Sunday, 14 February 2021 for a period of three days and again at 6am on Sunday, 28 February 2021 for a period of six days.

March 2021 Monthly traffic update preview

-53.8% Auckland Airport total passenger volumes decreased by 53.8% in March 2021 versus last year. International passengers (excl. transits) were down 95.0%, transit passengers were down 92.9% and domestic passengers were down by 11.1%.

Key Points:

• The decline in total passengers for March 2021 reflects the impact of the travel restrictions imposed by the New Zealand Government in response to COVID-19. The closure of the New Zealand border from 20 March 2020 to all but New Zealand citizens and permanent residents has had a significant impact on international services.

• The Australian Government resumed one-way quarantine-free travel from New Zealand to Australia on Thursday, 11 March 2021. The arrangement allows travellers who have been in New Zealand for 14 days to travel by air to Australia quarantine-free, without applying for a travel exemption.

• Domestic services in March 2021 were also impacted by further travel restrictions when Auckland re-entered Alert Level 3 at 6am on Sunday, 28 February 2021 for a period of six days until 6am on Sunday, 7 March 2021.

Please see attached pdf for full report.