Air New Zealand says it is expecting to carry over one million domestic passengers and almost as many international travellers over the holiday travel period. 

The bumper Christmas between today and 31 January will see the national carrier ferry an additional 700,000 passengers through international terminals. 

Chief Operating Officer, Alex Marren says it is an extraordinary effort to get the projected million domestic passengers home for Christmas. Each flight requires around 40 people to make sure it takes off on time. 

“Ensuring a smooth travel experience for our customers in the days leading up to Christmas requires a coordinated effort across all our teams,” he said. 

The summer travel period is projected to get off to a bumper start next Friday, with 22 December projected to be the busiest day for the airline. There are around 50,000 people booked to travel on the airline, the Friday before Christmas. 

Christmas Eve will be Air New Zealand's busiest day since Covid-19 hit. Photo / Mark Mitchell 

The busiest domestic route this holiday will be Auckland to Christchurch, followed by Auckland to Wellington and then Queenstown as Kiwis escape the city for a well deserved summer holiday. Meanwhile Nelson at the top of the South Island remains the busiest destination for regional airlink services. 

The airline’s most popular overseas destinations this summer are all in Australia, with 350,000 passengers hopping the ditch to Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane between now and the end of January. More than half of all Air New Zealand’s overseas bookings. 

Marren says that Air New Zealand has anticipated the rush but it’s likely to be far busier than usual in terminals across the country. 

“We know that travelling can be stressful for many people, so we want to remind customers to give themselves plenty of time for check in and getting through airport security.” 

The airline asks domestic passengers arrive more than 30 minutes before their flight’s departure, and international travellers arrive at least 45 minutes before departure. Passengers requiring assistance, travelling with pets or with oversized items should allow extra time. 

Advice for flying during busy Christmas periods 

- Consider checking in to your flight online to avoid queues at the check-in desk 

- Pre-booking a car park at the airport as these can become full 

- Allow yourself more time to drive to the airport as traffic can cause delays 

- Plan to arrive earlier than usual in case of long queues at check-in and security 

- Remind yourself what items can be taken in carry-on and luggage, and ensure bags are correctly packed 

- Pack any important gifts or items in a carry-on bag in case of lost luggage