Air New Zealand has revealed its busiest day of the year as the holiday period draws near.
The airline said December 23 will be its busiest day, with more than 55,000 customers heading away.
The number is up from 31,000 last year when the international borders were closed - up 77%.
It also said more than 50,000 customers are also expected to fly on December 15, 16, 22, 27 and 28.
In total, Air New Zealand said it's expecting to fly 2.8 million customers around the country and the world during its summer period, which the airline defines as December 1 to January 31.
Auckland to Christchurch will be the busiest route, while Queenstown will be the busiest regional airport - more than 6000 people will be passing through it on December 23 alone.
Air New Zealand is warning airports, check-in areas and security will be "much busier than usual".
"While it's great to have more people travelling this year, it does come with some challenges. Flights will be packed, with lots of queues and extra baggage," the airline's chief customer and sales officer Leanne Geraghty said.
"As we prepare for a bumper summer, we're pulling out all the stops to take the friction out – with new aircraft, hiring 2200 more people, 300 airport volunteers and contingency plans in place for disruptions."
People are being asked to plan ahead, add extra time, to expect delays and be patient with staff due to sickness and shortages across the industry.
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