News
Air NZ passenger numbers flat during May
June 22nd 2026
Air New Zealand (Air NZ) flew 1.135 million passengers on its domestic and international networks in May, little changed from 1.139 million in the same month in 2025. Read More » Capacity, measured by available seat kilometres (ASK), was 0.1% lower in the month, while demand, or revenue passenger kilometres, fell 0.2%. Passenger load factor dropped 0.1 of a percentage point to 81.9%. The Star Alliance member said domestic ASKs were 2.9% higher in May, with the growth in capacity supported by two additional A321s in operation compared with the same month in 2025. There was also growth in international short-haul capacity of 1.9%, again driven by the introduction of two new A321 aircraft, However, the growth in ASKs on the domestic network was "partly offset by targeted capacity reductions following the sharp rise in jet fuel prices after the conflict in the Middle East", Air NZ said in a regulatory filing. The number of domestic passengers inched up 0.1% to 726,000. The airline said demand on its long-haul network "remained comparatively resilient".
