New Zealand is taking another step forward in its staged border reopening this weekend. After reopening to fully vaccinated Kiwis from Australia earlier this week, the country will start allowing fully vaccinated New Zealanders elsewhere in the world to fly home this weekend without the need to complete any quarantine or self-isolation.
Kiwis finally free to come and go
While officially not barred from their own country, Kiwis trying to get home until recently have faced lengthy spells in expensive quarantine, vaccinated or not. Those quarantine beds were scarce, and competition for them was intense. More recently, New Zealand switched to self-isolation at home for many international arrivals. From 00:01 (local time) on Saturday, March 5, all inbound New Zealanders will need is a negative pre-departure test. On arrival, they will have to undergo a rapid antigen test, and also on day five or six.
New Zealand is yet to reopen to those not holding New Zealand citizenship or permanent residency. But the New Zealand Government has flagged doing so in the coming months. At this stage, you could safely expect further staged reopening dates to happen sooner rather than later. In the meantime, the ability of Kiwis to freely come and go is a welcome shot in the arm for airlines flying to the country and New Zealand’s airports. From this weekend, New Zealanders can now also head to 120 countries without having to isolate on return.
“We’re super excited to welcome Kiwis from across the world back home tomorrow and to see the buzz of international travel return to Auckland Airport,” said Auckland Airport’s General Manager Corporate Services, Mary-Liz Tuck.
Air New Zealand and Qantas are among the airlines operating international flights into Auckland this weekend. Photo: Getty Images
Dozens of long-haul flights are expected in Auckland this week
New Zealand’s biggest airport isn’t expecting to get swamped on Saturday. The airport says some 900 New Zealanders will fly in on the day. The airport’s arrival board shows Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Qantas, Fiji Airways, and Air New Zealand all operating international services into Auckland on Saturday. The airport expects 34 long-haul flights to land over the next week.
“We’ve already seen Air New Zealand release its plans for restarting long-haul passenger services, plus LATAM Airlines has announced it will re-establish its connection between Santiago, Chile and with Auckland Airport at the end of March,” said Ms Tuck.
“We expect the removal of self-isolation to be a big unlock for the international market eyeing up the trip of a lifetime and await the Government decisions on the timing of Steps 4 and 5 of New Zealand’s reconnection plan.”
Auckland Airport’s General Manager Corporate Services Mary-Liz Tuck. Photo: Auckland Airport
A gradual rebuild likely for Auckland Airport
Before the pandemic, 29 international airlines connected Auckland Airport to 43 destinations. That’s now down to 14 airlines flying to 25 destinations. Ms Tuck expects to see the current numbers improve once New Zealand starts welcoming travelers from more countries and airlines lock in their forward schedules.
Auckland Airport’s biggest customer, Air New Zealand, has more than 300 flights scheduled to and from Australia this month, primarily to Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane. But the airline is also sending some planes to Perth and returned to the Gold Coast this week for the first time in seven months.
“Auckland Airport is a place of connection, and for the past couple of years, that heartbeat has slowed,” adds Ms Tuck. “Every one of us loves aviation, loves travel, and loves the connections the airport helps create. We are really excited to be part of the next steps in our country’s reconnection with the world.”
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