Auckland Airport posts 'positive' half-year result

Auckland Airport has posted a steady half-year result, with the company cautiously optimistic about passenger growth in the near term.

Key numbers for the six months ended December 2025 compared with a year ago:

• Net profit $177m vs $187.3m
• Revenue $519.6m vs $499.9m
• Underlying profit $157.1m vs $148.1m
• Passenger numbers 9.64m vs 9.46m
• Interim dividend 6.5 cents per share v 6.25 cps

Its bottom line profit decreased 5 percent amid a jump in depreciation expenses reflecting new assets the airport commissioned. Stripping aside one-offs, underlying profit increased 6 percent.

Chief executive Carrie Hurihanganui said the passenger demand trend was "positive", and singled out the China Eastern Shanghai-Auckland-Buenos Aires service as a highlight, which she said was proving popular.

"While the passenger demand trajectory is certainly positive, we expect the ongoing global fleet shortages to continue to weigh on the availability of new seat capacity supply and the pace of growth in the near term," she said.

The airport said it had been a promising start to the 2026 financial year for international travel, with seat capacity up 1.8 percent from a year ago, lifting non-transit passenger movements to 93 percent of pre-Covid levels.

"Travellers on North American routes continue to be exceptionally well served with seven airlines competing in the market, and we're welcoming more inbound visitors to New Zealand on these routes than ever before," Hurihanganui said.

Temporary disruption as work continues on terminal

Hurihanganui said construction of the integrated domestic jet terminal remained on track for completion in 2029.

Construction activity at the international terminal over the next 18 months would become more visible to travellers with the opening of a temporary check-in facility.

"This next stage of the build, where we are upgrading the check-in area at the international terminal, is an essential step in delivering the long-term capacity, resilience and improved customer experience travellers have been asking for at Auckland Airport," she said.

"Travellers can expect some temporary disruption as this complex work gets underway, particularly in international departures."

Hurihanganui said the airport was working with airlines and government agency partners to minimise

The airport forecasts full-year underlying profit of between $295 million and $320m, and forecasts capital expenditure guidance of between $1 billion and $1.2b.

-By RNZ