Travel has surged back as illness and bad weather hits airports and airlines. Photo / Dean Purcell
Travel has surged back as illness and bad weather hits airports and airlines. Photo / Dean Purcell
Lines to get through security at Auckland Airport's domestic terminal are growing as work on installing new screening technology stretches into the school holidays.
The airport's carparks are also nearing capacity and today it said it was closing off online bookings until July 24.
Construction for new security equipment meansthe number of queues has been cut from five to four, exacerbating problems getting through the terminal during a busy school holidays. Travellers have also been hit by staff illness at airlines, airports and agencies - and by bad weather.
Flight cancellations are angering passengers and the notoriously tight space through Aviation Security (Av Sec) is now even tighter during the rebuild.
''Given the work is substantial it can't be carried out without crossing into one of our holiday peak periods,'' said a spokesperson.
Auckland Airport is doing the expansion work and says the project will add a much-needed 40sq m of additional queuing space and allow Av Sec to upgrade its security technology, including body scanning equipment. The airport company will complete the construction stages in September.
Av Sec has been gradually introducing body scanners, 'advance imaging technology' or AIT, at New Zealand airports since mid-2019.
The AIT body scanners are currently operating at the international terminal, as well as Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin, and Queenstown airports.
An Auckland Airport spokeswoman said to allow construction work necessary for the upgrade to take place safely and securely, one of the five screening lanes was removed for a period, reducing capacity to four lanes, with noisy and disruptive work restricted to after-hours only.
During the last two months more than 85 per cent of passengers are queuing for less than nine minutes at the screening point, with the average queue time being just over 5 minutes.
''While any queues do move quickly, when travelling domestically we ask that customers please allow plenty of time to complete airline check-in and security screening, particularly when the airport is busy.''
Av Sec has been hit by higher than usual staff absences due to Covid-19 or winter colds and flu.
The organisation has redeployed some security offices from its Christchurch station to plug gaps in Auckland.
New scanners are being fitted around the country. Photo / Supplied
The spokesperson said while it appreciated sometimes there can be queues at screening points, of which there are many causes including but not limited to:
• Weather causing flight disruptions • High numbers travelling during the school holidays • Resumption of international travel
''When airlines change and/or cancel flights it impacts on our staff rostering and while we are as agile as possible to accommodate those changes, Av Sec does not control scheduling.''
It advised all passengers to get to the airport with plenty of time to go through security screening.
''It also pays to check what you can and can't take in your carry-on as every time a bag needs to be rechecked at the screening point it adds to queue wait times,'' the spokesperson said.
Av Sec removes almost 200,000 items from passenger bags due to these items not meeting the airlines' condition of carriage.
Car parks filling up
Auckland Airport is also encouraging travellers to consider alternative transport to the airport over the remainder of the July school holidays, with the airport experiencing the largest surge in demand for carparking since 2019.
Demand for carparking bookings at Auckland Airport's long-term parking facility Park & Ride has risen by 87 per cent this month, compared to the number of bookings in July 2019 before the pandemic.
Scott Tasker, Auckland Airport's general manager customer. Photo / Supplied
"In line with overseas trends, we're seeing more travellers head to the airport by private vehicle, with people increasingly booking carparking in advance and staying for much longer than usual,'' said Scott Tasker, Auckland Airport's general manager customer.
The duration of carparking stays for international travellers has increased by 42 per cent compared to July 2019, with customers staying an average of 16 days rather than 11 days. At the domestic terminal, the duration of carparking stays have been 24 per cent higher this month compared to July 2019.
Carparking capacity is now limited at Auckland Airport, with no further online bookings expected to be available until July 24 at domestic and international carparks.
Tasker said valet bookings have also now closed, with demand spiking 34 per cent higher this month compared to July 2019 and staffing shortages reducing the availability of the service.
With limited parking availability, the airport is encouraging people to consider alternative forms of transport to the airport, such as a taxi, rideshare or SkyDrive bus, which operates to and from the Auckland CBD.
Travellers can take advantage of half price public transport fares to take the train/bus connection via Puhinui Station and AirportLink.
About 120,000 people are expected to depart on international flights out of Auckland during July school holidays – nearly 50 per cent more than the April school holidays.
