Auckland International Airport Limited has recorded a 1.2 per cent decline in international passengers during August, although domestic traffic continued to grow.
The fall in international traffic was magnified by a fall in transit and transfer traffic, which when included saw international passenger numbers decline by four per cent compared to August 2008. However, traffic from Australia increased by 11.2 per cent which helped to offset major declines in passengers from China, Japan and South Korea. For the financial year to date, international passenger numbers are down by 3.6 per cent.
Domestic passenger numbers continued to grow during the month, recording an increase of 3.7 per cent despite a seven per cent decrease in domestic aircraft movements. AIAL says that the increase reflects the greater competition in the market, particularly since Jetstar took over the Qantas Group’s domestic services in June. Domestic passenger numbers for the financial year to date are up five per cent.
