Auckland’s move into Alert Level 3 for a period of three days will mean changes for travellers at Auckland Airport.
As an essential service Auckland Airport remains operational but from midnight on Sunday, February 14, travel to and from Auckland has been restricted to those needing to get home or travelling for other essential purposes.
Access to the domestic and international terminals will only be open to passengers travelling that day.
“It’s important for us to manage physical distancing within the terminal and unfortunately this means only allowing those people set to travel that day into the buildings,” says Anna Cassels-Brown, general manager operations at Auckland Airport.
Given the rapid lift to Alert Level 3 many in-terminal food and beverage operators will not be opening, both at the domestic and international terminal.
“If you’re travelling in the next few days, it’s going to be important to plan ahead and have all the essentials you might need for your flight, because they might not be available to purchase at the terminal,” says Anna.
“We know this change to alert levels may be stressful for those travelling between now and Wednesday, so don’t hesitate to ask one of our terminal staff if you need assistance.”
Auckland Airport’s tips for travellers include:
- Give yourself more time. Things might take a bit longer – from check-in to boarding – so please give yourself plenty of time to get to and through the airport.
- Only passengers can come into the terminal. Be prepared to have your travel itinerary checked at the door, and you may be asked about your reason for travel. If you’re unable to catch your flight without assistance, one support person will be able to enter the terminal building with you.
- There might be extra wait time inside the terminal. Auckland Airport is going to need to carefully manage your journey through the terminal to ensure everyone can keep a safe space between them and their fellow passengers. This might mean some additional time spent waiting to be processed. Please be patient.
- Stay safe and leave space. There are lots of reminders in place to maintain physical distancing, but we need everyone to play their part to reduce the risk of COVID-19.
- Scan with your COVID-19 Tracer app and make sure Bluetooth is on or keep a notebook record of your visit to the terminal.
- You’ll need to wear a mask on your flight and public transport to and from the airport, and people are being asked to wear masks when they are inside the terminal.
- Please use the hand sanitiser stations around the terminal, the disposable wipe stations you will find at trolley stands, and bins for the disposal of face masks are available throughout the terminal.
All car parks, including Park & Ride, and pick up / drop off areas will remain open.
Contactless PayWave is an option on entry and exit for those preferring not to use the car park payment machines. People with parking bookings for the next couple of days will be contacted directly by Auckland Airport with details for how to make arrangements to cancel or reschedule those bookings.
Public transport, Sky Bus, rideshare and taxis will still be available.
Alert Level 3 restrictions remain in place until 11.59pm on Wednesday, February 17, pending future announcements.
