CIAL sees 15% increase and record growth

Thursday 14 December 2006

CIAL sees 15% increase and record growth

International passenger movements at Christchurch Airport are at a record high for the third consecutive month, with an increase of 15.2% on the same month last year and a 5.6% increase on the previous November record, set in 2004.

Christchurch International Airport Ltd’s Manager Marketing & Business Development, Gareth Owen, commented that the Tasman route in particular continues to outperform previous years. “We are seeing growth levels above 20% on the Brisbane, Gold Coast and Melbourne routes”, he said.

With airlines continuing to price aggressively on the Tasman route, travelers on both sides of the Tasman are taking advantage of the opportunity for a cheap holiday. Christchurch now has two well-established Value Based Airlines, which have consistently grown their market share, in addition to the full service airlines serving the route, providing travelers with a range of options when considering a holiday or business trip.

This growth is assisted by the increased marketing of New Zealand by Tourism New Zealand in the Australian market over the past few months, supported by CIAL and regional tourism operators.

“We have also seen a surge in people traveling to further international destinations, using the convenience of Air New Zealand’s new B737 shuttle service, which connects directly with several international flights from Auckland,” said Mr Owen.

ENDS

131,960 International and 339,565 Domestic passengers traveled through Christchurch Airport in November. Compared with November 2005, International passenger numbers were up by 17,453 (15.2) and domestic numbers decreased by 2119 (0.9%).

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