December 2024 Monthly traffic update

December 2024 Monthly traffic update

Key points:

• In December 2024, there was a total of 1,028k international passenger movements in the month, a 6% increase compared to the same month in 2023 and was the highest number of international passengers in a month since January 2020. International passengers, excluding transits, for the month of December 2024 increased by 7% compared to same month last year and represents a recovery to 93% of the pre-COVID equivalent which is the highest recovery rate post the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic;

• Australian and New Zealand passport holders accounted for 53% of all international passenger movements during the month with their numbers increasing by 7% on last year. New Zealand passenger numbers are now 4% ahead of pre-COVID levels. All other passport holders increased by 8% compared to the same month last year with North American passport holders increasing by 12%, now exceeding pre-COVID levels, and European passports increasing by 10%;

• Whilst international passengers increased by 6% airline seat capacity decreased by 1% compared to the same month last year resulting in material improvement to airline load factors of 5.6 percentage points to 85.6%. Routes that improved most were North America, increasing by 8.4 percentage points and the Chinese routes which improved by 17.1 percentage points. Transit movements declined 15% due to airlines focusing on New Zealand point to point demand at the expense of North and South America to Australia passenger flows;

• Domestic passenger movements were flat in the month of December 2024 when compared to the same month in prior year with seat capacity increasing by 2%. Domestic passengers on the jet routes increased by 1%, compared to a 4% decrease on regional routes; and

• Queenstown Airport international passenger numbers in December 2024 increased 11% on the year prior and domestic passengers increased 1% on the same month last year.

Please see attached PDF for full report.

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Announcement PDF