This has been a busy 12 months with:

• 6,255,000 passengers
• 92,500+ flights arrived and departed
• 9,600+ tonnes of freight coming in and going out
• 17 different commercial aircraft types
• 14 airline partners connecting Ōtautahi Christchurch to the world

Peak travel days

As the airport prepares to welcome travellers from near and far, here’s what passengers and the airport team can expect this year.

Friday, 20 December, is set to be the busiest day of the season with just over 20,000 travellers expected to pass through the terminal.  Domestic flights will reach their peak that day, while the international peak will follow closely on Saturday, 21 December, with over 7,000 international passengers expected to travel through the airport.

Compared to last year, this holiday season brings increased airline capacity every day during the peak week. The airport expects 6,000 more passengers to use our airport during the peak pre-Christmas week compared to last year.

Domestic travel will be especially busy during the morning (8–9 am) and evening (5–7 pm) peak periods. The busiest time for international flights is expected to be just after noon, driven by a wave of arrivals. Between 1:20 pm and 2:45 pm, the airport anticipates arrivals from Cathay Pacific (Hong Kong), Emirates (Sydney), Qantas (Brisbane and Melbourne), and Air New Zealand (Melbourne).

Supporting Smooth Journeys

Here are 12 predicted statistics for 20 December 2024:

• 20,000 travellers
• 6,000 pickup and drop offs
• 4,000 car parks
• 2,500 taxis and Ubers in our service lanes
• 230 landings and take offs
• 25 dedicated customer service staff on duty (Not including airline staff)
• 14 eateries open serving food and Christmas treats
• 9 Christmas trees in the terminal
• 4 sniffer dogs on duty
• 2 elves and a festive choir
• 1 Santa
• $ zero – cost of the wait zone

Christmas Treats

Festive activities will be happening across the terminal.

Between 18-24 December Santa and his elves will be dropping by between 10.30 -2.00pm giving out sweet treats and hosting fun activities like photos, face painting and colouring in. Local choirs and brass bands will serenade travellers with festive favourites.

Keeping it moving

Strategic Communication Manager Sean Tully says “It’s going to be busy on the runway and even busier at the pickup and drop-off loop. If you’re picking someone up, use the wait zone—it’s free and just 500 metres from the loop. Wait for a text from your friends or family to let you know they’re ready to be collected.”

He adds, “Our teams are ready to make the travel experience as seamless and enjoyable as possible for everyone. With extra capacity and well-planned schedules, we’re here to help make your holidays memorable.”