New arrivals area opens at Auckland airport

Auckland International Airport was scheduled to open its new international arrivals area for business from midnight last night.

The opening marks the next stage of the airport's expansion that will eventually handle 25 million passengers a year by 2025.

The new arrivals area features iconic and cultural New Zealand imagery reflecting the journey across the ocean, plus expanded corridors and more passenger processing room.

The new facility has 44 immigration passport control counters, compared with 32 in the old arrivals area. It will be officially opened on Thursday.