Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi
- Listen: First Up's Love Actually moment
It's the busiest day of the holiday season for domestic travellers at Auckland Airport today, with 27,000 travelling in the lead-up to Christmas.
Including international travellers, Sunday would be the airport's busiest day with 64,000 people expected through.
Auckland Airport's chief customer officer Scott Tasker told First Up they've been preparing for months with airlines, border agencies, aviation security and ground crews.
There were some with concerns about how the airport will cope following a recent network outage.
People should give themselves extra time to get to their flights during the busy summer period, Tasker said.
Overall throughout the peak summer period 1.8 million people will go through the airport, Tasker said.
"We love this time of year at Auckland Airport, it's what we prepare for, it's what love to see.
"People heading off - with big smiles on their faces - overseas, or those fantastic reunions when you see long-lost relatives and friends coming through the arrival process and then coming out into public arrivals and those amazing Love Actually style reunions."
Advice for travellers
"One of the most important things is check your itinerary... and make sure you get to the airport on time, give yourself plenty of time to get through traffic."
The advice for domestic travellers was to arrive an hour before departure time, for international travellers it was at least two hours, though check-in opened three hours before international flights, Tasker said.
Anyone driving to the airport should pre-book parking to save time and money, he said.
International travellers could also do their international arrivals cards online before departing.
"One last tip is your battery powered devices, put them in your carry on luggage, don't put them in your checked in bags, aviation security don't like those being in your checked in bags," he said.
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