Government initiatives aimed at reducing airport wait times
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has announced that the Government's measures to speed up air travel are delivering promising results ahead of the busy summer period. The new initiatives aim to reduce airport wait times and provide greater transparency around flight disruptions.
The key measures include the introduction of new scanners allowing laptops and liquids to stay in bags during security screening, as well as advanced passenger sensing technology being rolled out at airport security checkpoints to accurately measure queue length. This technology has shown significant reductions in queues, with the number of passengers processed in less than 5 minutes increasing from a 12-month average of 89 per cent to 95 per cent in December.
In addition to this, the Government is also introducing regular on-time performance reporting for airlines, providing greater transparency for Kiwis flying domestically and across the Tasman. The latest data shows that airlines are performing better on the domestic network compared with recent months, while there is room for improvement on trans-Tasman routes.
The Transport Minister believes that these measures will contribute to a smoother travel experience for passengers. "As a Government, we want to ensure that Kiwis are able to get to where they want to go, quickly and safely," he said. "Our Government is focused on improving air travel performance and customer experience to make a real difference for those traveling this summer."