Air New Zealand allows US-bound duty-free

Gavin Lipsith

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The carrier finally allows duty-free purchases to be brought onto its Auckland-US routes

Auckland International airport has advised US-bound passengers traveling on Air New Zealand flights that they can now purchase all duty-free products at airport duty-free stores prior to boarding. Liquid products including liquor, fragrances and cosmetics will be delivered direct to departure gates, in line with measures implemented by Qantas for its US-bound flights last month.

The ban on duty-free will be maintained on Air New Zealand's Auckland-Los Angeles-London service, the airport said in a statement, with the carrier citing the risk of duty-free purchases being confiscated while transferring in the US. For all other US-bound flights, duty-free purchases from Auckland's Regency Duty Free and DFS Galleria outlets will be stopped 90 minutes before departure to allow for gate delivery.

Auckland CEO Don Huse praised Air New Zealand and Qantas staff, the Aviation Security Service and duty-free operators at Auckland for their efforts in dealing with the security issues. "This focus on customer service has meant minimal inconvenience for passengers since new security requirements were introduced," he said.