Airways says it is seeing an extra 315 jet movements per week from this time last year. Picture / Mark Mitchell
This summer is the busiest ever for New Zealand's skies, says the country's traffic controller.
Airways New Zealand says air traffic volumes are up 11 per cent from this time last year and an 18 per cent rise from the year before that.
While more domestic traffic was contributing to
the rise, inbound planes from from Asia were driving international growth, with 87 more flights arriving from the region each week compared to a year ago.
Airways says it is also seeing an extra 315 jet movements per week from this time last year, with 57 per cent of these flights coming in and out of Auckland Airport.
"Aside from a short spike during the 2011 Rugby World Cup, jet aircraft movements haven't reached these levels since 2008, ahead of the worst impacts of the Global Financial Crisis," said Airways chief executive Ed Sims.
