by Metropol | May 13, 2026 8:33 am
This summer has been one to remember for us at Christchurch Airport. The energy and the number of people coming through our doors have been something special, and it’s great to see what that means for our city and the South Island.
We welcomed a significant lift in international visitors, up 22 per cent on last year, reinforcing our role as the South Island’s gateway to the world. Across the season, 3.1 million passengers travelled through our airport, including 287,000 international visitors.
Australia remains our largest visitor market, but what’s exciting is the growth from China, with visitor numbers more than doubling. That’s been driven by stronger airline connections and visa changes, making it easier to visit.
What really matters is the impact. Those visitors contributed around $861 million to the South Island economy over summer, supporting local businesses, jobs and communities.
Behind the scenes, our team has worked closely with airlines and partners to secure more flights, larger aircraft and longer seasons. At the same time, exporters have been using these connections to get fresh South Island produce to global markets faster than ever.
For me, it comes back to this, strong connections create real value, and we’re already working to make next summer even better.
Source URL: https://metropol.co.nz/gateway-to-the-world-christchurch-airport-ceo-justin-watson/
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