The Wellington Airport was filled with hugs and kisses as the first batch of travellers from neighbouring country Australia arrived after the Trans-Tasman bubble officially opened.

This marks an important milestone for Aussies and Kiwis who have not been able to freely travel between the two nations since 2020.

Travellers were welcomed into Wellington International Airport with a unique ‘Welcome Whanau’ arrival, a collaboration between Air New Zealand, Wellington NZ and Wellington Airport with support from New Zealand Māori Tourism and Tourism New Zealand.

René de Monchy, Tourism New Zealand chief executive said: “Today is a positive step towards recovery as we welcome back the first international visitors. We hope that those arriving at airports across New Zealand will feel our quintessential Kiwi welcome, with examples like Wellington’s runway Welcome Whānau banner extending our manaaki. We look forward to embracing visitors and introducing them to the Tiaki Promise.”