Air New Zealand is gearing up its resources to welcome 2.8 million passengers between 15 December 2022 and 31 January 2023, following a surge in demand for what will be the first summer holiday period since Covid restrictions eased.

Air New Zealand chief operating officer Alex Marren says during the same period last year, the airline carried just 1.1 million passengers, a clear indication that travel is rebounding. “Over recent weeks, we’ve seen a strong increase in bookings and over the summer, we’ll be operating at pre-Covid levels.

We know how important it is to get our customers to where they need to be safely, so we’ve strengthened our operations to ensure customers enjoy a seamless airport and inflight experience.” Over the last 10 months, Air New Zealand has hired more than1,950 operational employees – around 1,200 cabin crew, 250 pilots, 400 airport employees and 30 engineers. By February 2023, the airline will have hired an additional 700 people.

“Over the summer peak, we’re also adding a pool of casual employees across our airports to help customers on our busiest days. Where possible, we’re offering our part-time employees a full-time role. We’re back to more robust performance compared to our winter months where we experienced high levels of Covid. In preparation for summer, we’ve added some additional flexibility around our flight schedule and increased crew standby levels.” Air New Zealand is welcoming two new domestic A321neos into the fleet adding 50 additional seats per flight, brought in charter airline Wamos Air to operate daily return Auckland – Perth services and is continuing to bring back Boeing 777s from long term storage.

We’re going to be keeping the little ones entertained these holidays with a special Kia Ora Kids. The 36-page interactive magazine features a travel journal, Aotearoa’s natural wonders and native wildlife, puzzles, and iconic Kiwi destinations. Plenty to keep them occupied!

With almost 3 million customers travelling on the Air New Zealand network this summer, the airline is gearing up for a busy few weeks. 

Here are Air New Zealand’s top travel tips for the summer:

Be travel ready and check-in early. You can do this up to 24 hours before your flight by downloading the Air NZ mobile app or online. You’ll find your journey through check-in at the airport will be a little faster. Completing travel declarations is more important than ever so make sure you check travel requirements for the country you’re travelling to.

Pack within your limits and use our baggage calculator to save you from repacking your luggage at the airport or having to pay excess baggage fees. If you’d like to carry an additional bag, prepurchase this before your flight here (hint: it’s cheaper than having to pay at the airport).

Airports will be bustling in December and January, so we recommend you arrive at the airport three hours before your flight if travelling internationally, and a minimum of 60 minutes before your flight if travelling domestically to avoid any disruption.

If you didn’t already download the Air NZ app in step one, here’s another reminder. If there are any changes to the status of your flight, having the app will make sure you receive any notifications.