Newsstand - Australia & New Zealand to become domestic flight

“We want to cut red tape at the border,” he said. “When I visited Australia earlier this year, Prime Minister Rudd and I agreed to streamline the customs and immigration at international airports for trans-Tasman flights.

“Our thinking is that the more we can get Trans-Tasman travel to feel like a domestic flight, the more Australians will come to New Zealand.

“I expect we’ll be able to make some announcements about this when I head to Australia again in August, but it’s fair to say things are progressing well,” Key said.

http://www.spicenews.com.au/2009/05/14/article/NZ-PM-Vows-Easier-Trans-Tasman-Travel-Special-Report/NLPFHMWGMI.html

Interesting. I wonder if they'll require visas in advance like Australia currently does.

Interesting. I wonder if they'll require visas in advance like Australia currently does.

Wouldn't that depend on your citizenship?

From what I understand, the trans-tasman "domestic" flight would apply on to citizens and permanent residents(regardless of citizenship) of Australia & New Zealand. In any case, those group of people do not require a visa to travel between those countries.

I still think the flights would arrive and depart from the international terminals and the ANZ citizens/Permanent Residents would've been pre-cleared before boarding the aircraft and be exempt from inbound immigration control (having already cleared that while checking-in / pre-boarding.

This is old news. It was first announced back in February (http://www.wanderingaramean.com/2009/02/big-changes-coming-for-australian.html). Also discussed here (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/newsstand/935565-plan-will-turn-new-zealand-flights-into-domestic-bliss.html?highlight=tasman).

This is old news. It was first announced back in February (http://www.wanderingaramean.com/2009/02/big-changes-coming-for-australian.html). Also discussed here (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/newsstand/935565-plan-will-turn-new-zealand-flights-into-domestic-bliss.html?highlight=tasman).

Ah, congratulations for your reaches 20,000 post club. :)

^ Very happy about this.

Immigration/Passport Control at AKL was worse than entering the former Soviet Union during my visit in March.