Auckland International Airport (AKL)

The airport at a glance

• Auckland Airport handled 19.04 million passengers in the year to 30 June 2026, up 1.6% on the previous year according to the operator's results. This splits into about 10.47 million international and 8.57 million domestic passengers.
• Air New Zealand uses it as its main hub, and Jetstar has its New Zealand base here. Other major airlines include Qantas, Emirates, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, United, Fiji Airways and several Chinese carriers.
• The airport has two terminals, international and domestic, about a 10-minute walk apart. The international terminal is open 24 hours a day. The domestic terminal opens before the first flight of the day and closes after the last.
• Auckland has a single 3,635 m runway and is one of only two New Zealand airports that can handle the Airbus A380 (the other is Christchurch). The airport says it handles more than 90% of New Zealand's international long-haul capacity.

Moving between the terminals

• The international and domestic terminals are separate buildings. Allow about 10 minutes to walk between them, following the signs and the marked path outside.
• Air New Zealand says a free transfer bus links the two terminals every 15 minutes. Allow extra time if you are changing between an international and a domestic flight, because you may have to clear border control, collect bags or check in again.
• A new integrated terminal is being built to bring domestic jet and international flights under one roof. Turboprop regional flights will stay in the existing domestic building. See "What's coming".

Getting into Auckland

• Train and bus (cheapest): The orange AirportLink bus runs between the airport and Puhinui railway station about every 10 minutes, from roughly 4.30am to 1.00am. It takes about 18–20 minutes from the international terminal and 13–15 minutes from the domestic terminal. At Puhinui, change to a train for Waitematā (Britomart) in the city centre. Trains run about every 10 minutes from 4.30am to 12.40am.
• AirportLink stops: Stop A at the international terminal and Stop B at the domestic terminal. Cash is not accepted on buses, so pay with an AT HOP card or contactless card. The combined bus and train trip to the city costs about NZ$6.50 and takes about an hour in total. Weekend rail closures happen occasionally, so check the AT Mobile app or Journey Planner first.
• SkyDrive express bus: SkyDrive buses run between both terminals and SkyCity in central Auckland. A single fare was about NZ$20 in 2026.
• Taxis, rideshare and shuttles: At the international terminal, taxis, rideshare (including Uber) and Super Shuttle use the Transport Pick-up Zone. It is a 1–2 minute walk from arrivals via Door 11. Pre-booked taxi drivers meet you inside the international arrivals hall. At the domestic terminal, bus, shuttle, taxi and rideshare pick-ups are on the terminal forecourt.
• A taxi to the city centre can cost up to about NZ$100 (an estimate, not a set fare). Journeys can take much longer in peak traffic.
• Off-site parking and hotel shuttles use the Off-site Transfer Zone, a 5–7 minute walk north of the Transport Hub, behind the Pullman hotel.

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Arriving in New Zealand

• Everyone arriving in New Zealand, including citizens, must complete the free New Zealand Traveller Declaration (NZTD) before reaching passport control. It replaced the paper arrival card in August 2023.
• Submit the declaration online or in the app before boarding. The earliest you can submit it is 24 hours before your trip to New Zealand starts.
• Visitors from visa-waiver countries need a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA) before they fly. It is also required for Australian permanent residents and for some transit passengers who do not need a transit visa. Check your nationality on the Immigration New Zealand website before booking.
• An NZeTA is valid for two years and costs NZ$17 through the app or NZ$23 online. Most visitors also pay the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL) of NZ$100 at the same time. Australian citizens and permanent residents and people from most Pacific islands are exempt from the levy.

Lounges

• Strata Lounge (international terminal, airside, Level 2, near Gates 1 and 2) is open daily from 4.30am to 12.30am. Non-status travellers can book entry online, and Priority Pass members can also use it.
• Qantas International Lounge (international terminal, airside, Level 2) is open daily from 4.30am to 8pm. Access depends on fare class and Qantas or Oneworld status.
• Other international lounges are for airline passengers only. Ask the airline you are flying with whether you can use a lounge and which one.

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Practical information

• Money: Global Exchange runs several exchange branches in the airport. You can reserve more than 65 currencies in advance by calling 0800 256 722 or online and collect them at the airport. ATMs throughout both terminals accept Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Diners Club and Plus cards.
• Left luggage: In the international terminal, Secure Travel offers attended storage by Door 3 on the ground floor. Self-service lockers are in the domestic terminal car park building. Check Secure Travel's current hours with the airport before you rely on them.
• Showers: Free showers are in international departures (after security, near adidas) and outside the international arrivals gate near Door 11. Towels and toiletries are on sale nearby.
• Duty-free pick-up: When you buy tax and duty-free goods before departure, you can leave them with the retailer and collect them at the duty-free collection counters in international arrivals on your return. Keep your receipt.
• Tax refund: New Zealand has no GST refund scheme for tourists on goods bought in the country. Goods bought in airport duty-free shops are sold without GST.

What's coming

• Auckland Airport is building a NZ$3.9 billion integrated terminal. It will link a new domestic jet terminal directly to the international terminal and replace the old domestic terminal, much of which dates from the 1960s and 1970s. Work began in 2024 and the airport said in September–October 2026 that the project had passed its halfway point.
• The airport says the new terminal will handle 26% more domestic jet flights and 44% more passengers. Parts will open as they are finished.
• Work still to come includes a new check-in hall façade, upgraded toilets, new lifts and escalators, a new baggage system, and changes to departure security and passport control.