Auckland announces strong retail and traffic growth

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Auckland International airport has announced strong results for the full year ended June 30 2003, with profit reaching NZ$83.5m ($48.5m) despite the Bali bombing, SARS and the Iraq conflict.

Auckland International airport has announced strong results for the full year ended June 30 2003, with profit reaching NZ$83.5m ($48.5m) despite the Bali bombing, SARS and the Iraq conflict. Those events seemed to have little effect on Auckland's passenger numbers, which passed 9m for the first time.

The company grew revenues by 13.5% during the year, aided primarily by retail revenue of NZ$75.5m ($43.9m), up 30.5% on the previous year after the airport authority retendered concessions at the international terminal. The Nuance Group was granted a five-year extension to its Auckland operations in May last year.

Said Auckland International airport chairman Wayne Boyd: "The airport's resilience has been tested, but in comparison with a number of airports the adverse effects of world events have been shorter and les severe for Auckland."

The authority projected a 36% increase in international seat capacity over its summer schedule as a result of new carriers expected to use the airport. Emirates has recently started flying from there and two more carriers are expected to join it, an airport spokesman revealed.