The quiet skies above Auckland Airport are set to come to a roaring end on Wednesday when the border restrictions lift.
Around 27,000 people are expected to arrive and depart the city, with Auckland being locked off from the rest of the country for nearly half the year.
From a handful of flights a day, airlines are preparing for huge traffic. Air New Zealand will be flying 12,000 customers across 170 flights, with ground staff encouraging passengers to allow some extra time to catch their flight.
Meanwhile, Chathams Air is putting the chairs back in its planes, having switched to freighting seafood during lockdown.
Many in the city are keen to catch up with friends and family out of town. (Source: 1News)
"I think we've been able to sustain what is a massively high cost base for an airline to exist and really we've done that through versatility and what we can carry," Air Chathams chief operating officer Duane Emeny told 1News, while also noting the airline had relied on government support and the wage subsidy to survive.
Retailers are also hoping to get run off their feet, with Auckland Airport's head of retail Lucy Thomas telling 1News it was "like Christmas come early".
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