Auckland Airport : So far behind Singapore's Changi
 

https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/news/...gapores-changi

"Air New Zealand is a world leader in innovation. Why should the journey stop when you get off the plane? Because Auckland Airport is distracted, instead focused on playing catch-up after years of lining the pockets of shareholders.

What's made Air New Zealand world leading? Competition. Auckland Airport has none. I recently wrote about how New Zealand has one of the lowest penetration rates of low-cost carriers anywhere in Asia. I guarantee a second airport would attract them."

Some fair points in here, but also many questionable points. Air New Zealand has competition yet New Zealand has one if the lowest penetration rates of low-cost carriers anywhere in Asia? interesting. I can't fathom how a second airport could be justified

.......

Well AKL is really an O&D airport not a transit airport. There aren't competing cities for NZ to Europe like there are Asia to Europe. SIN is competing with Hong Kong and Cathy or EK and DXB for example.

If NZ was to do this NZ would need to are it self up as Asia's gateway to South America or something.

Comparing SIN & AKL isn't really fair as they are in different businesses.

Don't get me wrong AKL is a terrible airport. But the commercial pressure isn't there to improve.

Also AirNZ doesn't want other international airports in NZ. They used the ALPA to get WLG's extension halted and sent back to the drawing board.

Agreed, it was a poorly researched article.

AKL really has room to improve but no incentive to do so.

I stopped reading after the opening sentance where he described a larger plane waiting for a smaller plane to land as "farcical", realising he had no idea what he was talking about

The author can't have been in any peak time Changi arrival queues.

You can apply for Singapore's e-gates

As much as many of like to mock both domestic and international at AKL (and many of the problems are the fact the airport has only built facilities after they were needed rather than before) the simply reality is they are very much first world problems compared to the day to day issues that occur at many large airports overseas.

Thanks. Looks like they've relaxed the requirements recently so I should qualify now. Bit of a pain the registration desk is only open during office hours and my upcoming flights arrive/depart outside of office hours :rolleyes: :D

Re a couple of posts above, the author (Brook Sabin) is a former reporter and has traveled extensively (i.e the article I just skimmed from March 2017 said over 40 countries). You may laugh at his opinions but I guess claims he hasn't been to Changi or CDG are wrong..

Ugh, he's a "quit my job to get paid to travel" sponsored reviewer "influencer" type thing. I have learnt to disregard about 99% of what any of them write.

​​​​​​​https://www.onflightmode.com/about

I know exactly who he is (and his father); he was a very good political reporter, but he lost me with his opening paragraph on travel here

As international airports go, AKL isn't too bad, Arrivals is pretty speedy. Departures security could be more efficient and is a bit slow in summer season but its compact and easy to navigate, I preferred it before the recent refurb and the extra duty free shops for Asians visitors, but thats the market so you follow.