File pic Photo: 123RF
Air New Zealand is gearing up to fly a million customers on domestic routes over the summer holidays.
That will be in addition to another 700,000 international passengers travelling between Friday and 31 January.
The airline's busiest day of the year will be 22 December, when nearly 50,000 people plan to take off to either New Zealand or overseas destinations.
The busiest domestic route is Auckland to Christchurch, with Wellington and Queenstown following closely behind.
Air New Zealand chief operating officer Alex Marren said the airline had been working hard to meet peak demand.
"Ensuring a smooth travel experience for our customers in the days leading up to Christmas requires a coordinated effort across all our teams, from flight planners to airport staff, pilots, and cabin crew.
"Remarkably this means nearly 1200 tasks such as loading bags, monitoring weather, and ensuring the weight and balance of the aircraft," he said.
Australian cities continue to be the most popular destinations for New Zealanders visiting friends and family with 350,000 booked to travel to Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane over the holiday period and 330,000 passengers set to take off to destinations around the remainder of the international network.
Marren said Air New Zealand was well equipped to handle the Christmas rush but urged travellers to plan ahead to ensure smooth and uneventful travel through the airport.
"It's such a special time of year, so we are thrilled to be connecting customers with each other and the world, helping people get where they need to be and reunite with their whānau," she said.
"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."
Domestic travellers should plan to be at the departure gate 30 minutes before their flight's departure, while international customers should arrive at their departure gate 45 minutes before departure.
Some gates might be further than people realised, though staff were available to assist, she said.
