September 2025 Monthly Traffic Update

Key points:

• In September 2025 there was a total of 830k international passenger movements in the month, a 3% increase compared to the same month in 2024. Excluding transits, international passenger movements for the month of September 2025 increased by 5%. International seat capacity increased 3% on the same month last year resulting in average load factors of 84%, a 0.4 percentage point decline on the year prior;

• Passenger numbers and seat capacity on the short-haul international network both increased by 5% on the prior year with average load factors static at 84%. Long-haul international passenger numbers declined by 1% on 1% more seat capacity producing load factors of 83% a 1.2 percentage point decline compared to the same month in the prior year. New Zealand school holidays started a week earlier this year compared to the year prior (week commencing 15 September this year compared to week commencing 23 September last year) and this contributed to a 6% increase in New Zealand nationals traveling during the month of September this year compared to last;

• Domestic passenger movements increased by 7% in the month of September 2025 when compared to the same month in the prior year with seat capacity increasing 4%, resulting in a 2.2 percentage point increase in load factors to 86%. Passenger numbers on the domestic trunk routes grew 9% compared to the year prior with 5% more seat capacity lifting load factors by 2.8 percentage points to 87%; and

• Queenstown Airport international passenger numbers in September 2025 increased 8% on the year prior and domestic passengers increased 12% on the same month last year.

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Announcement PDF