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Airlines in New Zealand - Market Research Report (2014-2029)

Andrew Ledovskikh Andrew Ledovskikh Melbourne, Australia Last Updated: April 2024 ANZSIC I4900NZ

Revenue

$7.5bn

2024-25

$8.0bn

Past 5-Year Growth

Profit

$XXX.Xm

Employees

16,676

Businesses

31

Wages

$X.Xbn

Airlines in New Zealand industry analysis

The pandemic and resulting restrictions on air travel brought most air travel activity to a standstill between March 2020 and July 2022. Since then, air travel has recovered rapidly, with revenue almost doubling in 2022-23. That’s why industry revenue is expected to remain largely steady overall over the five years through 2023-24, totalling $7.5 billion. Revenue growth is expected to slow in 2023-24, rising by 1.0%. The number of international passengers travelling to and from New Zealand, which previously represented the largest market for airlines, plummeted by over 90% during the pandemic. Domestic flight revenue also tanked, despite lighter restrictions on travel than those imposed on overseas travellers. Nonetheless, a spike in the airfreight services segment partially limited revenue declines during this period. Even though borders have reopened, careful capacity expansion by airlines is limiting a recovery in passenger numbers, although high airfares are bolstering industry revenue and profitability.

Trends and Insights

  • Airlines have carefully increased their capacity since international borders reopened and restrictions eased. This strategy has allowed airlines to operate profitably after several years of industry-wide losses.
  • Revenue from business and corporate clients has struggled to recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Work from home trends, growing comfort with digital communications and a reluctance to reinstitute travel expenses have limited demand from this market.
  • Most airline establishments are located in Auckland, with other major cities like Christchurch and Wellington also popular locations. Auckland Airport is New Zealand’s busiest airport by passenger volume.
  • New Zealand's distance from other countries means that international airlines have little to no external competition in the passenger market. Even so, airlines are subject to strong external competition from shipping in the freight market.

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  • Market estimates from 2014-2029
  • Critical performance data and rankings
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Industry Statistics and Trends

Market size and recent performance (2014-2029)

Industry revenue has grown at a CAGR of 0.0 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated $7.5bn in 2024.

Trends and Insights

Load factors have fluctuated heavily in recent years, leading to profitability swings

  • As airlines are subject to high fixed costs, limited passenger volumes between March 2020 and July 2022 caused profit to plummet, with many airlines making substantial losses.
  • Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Airlines in New Zealand
Revenue (2014-2029)
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry outlook (2024-2029)

Market size is projected to grow over the next five years.

Trends and Insights

New Zealand's popularity as a tourist destination will support long-term growth for airlines

  • While tourism has rebounded quicker than expected since borders reopened, a full recovery is still set to take several years. In particular, a recovery in the corporate and government market is uncertain due to widespread acceptance of video calls and companies remaining unwilling to spend on business travel.

Biggest companies in the Airlines in New Zealand

Company
Market Share (%)
2024
Revenue ($m)
2024
Air New Zealand
6,438.8
Qantas
338.2

To view the market share and analysis for all 2 top companies in this industry, view purchase options.

Products & Services Segmentation

Airlines in New Zealand
Products & Services
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Long-haul international flight services, Domestic and regional flight services and Trans-Tasman flight services. Long-haul international flight services is the largest segment of the Airlines in New Zealand.

Trends and Insights

International borders have reopened, paving the way for long-haul international flight services to resume

  • Popular long-haul destinations for Air New Zealand, the most prominent airline in this segment, include Hong Kong, Los Angeles and New York.
  • More insights available in the full report

Table of Contents

About this industry

Industry definition

Airlines operate scheduled passenger flights to, from, and within New Zealand. The industry also includes airlines that operate scheduled domestic and international airfreight services.

What's included in this industry?

Long-haul international flight servicesDomestic and regional flight servicesTrans-Tasman flight servicesAirfreight transport services

Companies

Air New ZealandQantas

Purchase this report to view all 2 major companies in this industry.

Related Terms

LOAD FACTORAVAILABLE SEAT KILOMETRES (ASKS)REVENUE PASSENGER KILOMETRES (RPKS)PASSENGER YIELDLONG-HAUL INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTSTRANS-TASMAN FLIGHTS

Industry Code

ANZSIC 2006

ANZSIC 4900 - Airlines in New Zealand

Performance

Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.

Analyst insights

Airlines have carefully increased their capacity since international borders reopened and restrictions eased. This strategy has allowed airlines to operate profitably after s...

In this chapter (4)

  • Current Performance
  • Outlook
  • Volatility
  • Life Cycle

Key metrics

  • Annual Revenue, Recent Growth, Forecast, Revenue Volatility
  • Number of Employees, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Employee
  • Number of Businesses, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Business
  • Total Profit, Profit Margin, Profit per Business

Charts

  • Revenue, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
  • Employees, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
  • Businesses, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
  • Profit, including historical (2014-2024)
  • Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth
  • Industry Life Cycle

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in supply, demand and current events that are driving current industry performance
  • Expected trends, economic factors and ongoing events that drive the industry's outlook
  • Key success factors for businesses to overcome volatility
  • How contribution to GDP, industry saturation, innovation, consolidation, and technology and systems influence the industry's life cycle phase.

Products and Markets

Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.

Analyst insight

Revenue from business and corporate clients has struggled to recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Work from home trends, growing comfort with digital communicat...

In this chapter

  • Products & Services
  • Major Markets

Key metrics

  • Largest market segment and value in 2024
  • Product innovation level

Charts

  • Products & services segmentation in 2024
  • Major market segmentation in 2024

Detailed analysis

  • Trends impacting the recent performance of the industry's various segments
  • Innovations in the industry's product or service offering, specialization or delivery method
  • Key factors that successful businesses consider in their offerings
  • Buying segments and key trends influencing demand for industry products and services

Geographic Breakdown

Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.

Analyst insights

Most airline establishments are located in Auckland, with other major cities like Christchurch and Wellington also popular locations. Auckland Airport is New Zealand’s busies...

In this chapter (1)

  • Business Locations

Charts

  • Share of revenue, establishment, wages and employment in each region
  • Share of population compared to establishments in each region in 2024

Tables

  • Number and share of establishments in each region in 2024
  • Number and share of revenue each region accounts for in 2024
  • Number and share of wages each region accounts for in 2024
  • Number and share of employees in each region in 2024

Detailed analysis

  • Geographic spread of the industry across Asia Pacific, and trends associated with changes in the business landscape
  • Key success factors for businesses to use location to their advantage

Competitive Forces

Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.

Analyst insights

New Zealand's distance from other countries means that international airlines have little to no external competition in the passenger market. Even so, airlines are subject to...

In this chapter (4)

  • Concentration
  • Barriers to Entry
  • Substitutes
  • Buyer & Supplier Analysis

Key metrics

  • Industry concentration level
  • Industry competition level and trend
  • Barriers to entry level and trend
  • Substitutes level and trend
  • Buyer power level and trend
  • Supplier power level and trend

Charts

  • Market share concentration among the top 4 suppliers from 2019-2024
  • Supply chain including upstream supplying industries and downstream buying industries, flow chart

Detailed analysis

  • Factors impacting the industry’s level of concentration, such as business distribution, new entrants, or merger and acquisition activity.
  • Key success factors for businesses to manage the competitive environment of the industry.
  • Challenges that potential industry entrants face such as legal, start-up costs, differentiation, labor/capital intensity and capital expenses.
  • Key success factors for potential entrants to overcome barriers to entry.
  • Competitive threats from potential substitutes for the industry’s own products and services.
  • Key success factors for how successful businesses can compete with substitutes.
  • Advantages that buyers have to keep favorable purchasing conditions.
  • Advantages that suppliers have to maintain favorable selling conditions.
  • Key success factors for how businesses can navigate buyer and supplier power.

Companies

Learn about the performance of the top companies in the industry.

Analyst insights

Air New Zealand dominates the Airlines industry. The other major airlines are Virgin Australia and Qantas Airways Limited, which are both Australia-based airlines.

In this chapter

  • Market Share Concentration
  • Companies
  • Company Spotlights

Charts

  • Industry market share by company in 2020 through 2024
  • Major companies in the industry, including market share, revenue, profit and profit margin in 2024
  • Overview of Air New Zealand's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
  • Overview of Qantas's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024

Detailed analysis

  • Description and key data for Air New Zealand, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description and key data for Qantas, and factors influencing its performance in the industry

External Environment

Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.   

Analyst insights

The Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand (CAA) regulates the Airlines industry. The CAA monitors flight routes, route capacity, tariffs and freight, and determines the num...

In this chapter

  • External Drivers
  • Regulation & Policy
  • Assistance

Key metrics

  • Regulation & policy level and trend
  • Assistance level and trend

Charts

  • Regulation & Policy historical data and forecast (2014-2029) 
  • Assistance historical data and forecast (2014-2029) 

Detailed analysis

  • Demographic and macroeconomic factors influencing the industry, including Regulation & Policy and Assistance
  • Major types of regulations, regulatory bodies, industry standards or specific regulations impacting requirements for industry operators
  • Key governmental and non-governmental groups or policies that may provide some relief for industry operators.

Financial Benchmarks

View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time. 

Analyst insights

Airlines are recovering from the negative profit margins seen during the pandemic. Now that restrictions have eased, operators are focusing on restoring profitability by maxi...

In this chapter

  • Cost Structure
  • Financial Ratios
  • Key Ratios

Key metrics

  • Profit margin, and how it compares to the sector-wide margin
  • Average wages, and how it compares to the sector-wide average wage
  • Largest cost component as a percentage of revenue
  • Industry average ratios for days' receivables, industry coverage and debt-to-net-worth ratio

Charts

  • Average industry operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
  • Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
  • Investment vs. share of economy

Data tables

  • Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2014-2029)
  • Revenue per Employee (2014-2029)
  • Revenue per Enterprise (2014-2029)
  • Employees per Establishment (2014-2029)
  • Employees per Enterprise (2014-2029)
  • Average Wage (2014-2029)
  • Wages/Revenue (2014-2029)
  • Establishments per Enterprise (2014-2029)
  • IVA/Revenue (2014-2029)
  • Imports/Demand (2014-2029)
  • Exports/Revenue (2014-2029)

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in the cost component for industry operators and their impact on industry costs and profitability 

Key Statistics

Industry Data

Data Tables

Including values and annual change:

  • Revenue (2014-2029)
  • IVA (2014-2029)
  • Establishments (2014-2029)
  • Enterprises (2014-2029)
  • Employment (2014-2029)
  • Exports (2014-2029)
  • Imports (2014-2029)
  • Wages (2014-2029)

Top Questions Answered

Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.

What is the market size of the Airlines industry in New Zealand in 2024?

The market size of the Airlines industry in New Zealand is $7.5bn in 2024.

How many businesses are there in the Airlines in New Zealand industry in 2024?

There are 31 businesses in the Airlines industry in New Zealand, which has declined at a CAGR of 0.0 % between 2019 and 2024.

Has the Airlines industry in New Zealand grown or declined over the past 5 years?

The market size of the Airlines industry in New Zealand has been growing at a CAGR of 0.0 % between 2019 and 2024.

What is the forecast growth of the Airlines industry in New Zealand over the next 5 years?

Over the next five years, the Airlines industry in New Zealand is expected to grow.

What are the biggest companies in the Airlines market in New Zealand?

The biggest companies operating in the Airlines market in New Zealand are Air New Zealand and Qantas

What does the Airlines in New Zealand include?

Long-haul international flight services and Domestic and regional flight services are part of the Airlines industry.

Which companies have the highest market share in the Airlines in New Zealand?

The company holding the most market share in New Zealand is Air New Zealand.

How competitive is the Airlines industry in New Zealand?

The level of competition is moderate and increasing in the Airlines industry in New Zealand.

Related Industries

Widen your competitive advantage with related industries

Competitors

  • Road Freight Transport in New Zealand
  • Water Freight Transport in New Zealand

Complementors

  • Aircraft Manufacturing and Repair Services in New Zealand
  • Airport Operations in New Zealand

International industries

  • Global Airlines
  • International Airlines in the US
  • Domestic Airlines in the US
  • Charter Flights in the US
  • Scheduled Air Transportation in Canada

View all industries in New Zealand

Methodology

How are IBISWorld reports created?

IBISWorld has been a leading provider of trusted industry research for over 50 years to the most successful companies worldwide. With offices in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and China, we are proud to have local teams of analysts that conduct research, data analysis and forecasting to produce data-driven industry reports.

Our analysts start with official, verified and publicly available sources of data to build the most accurate picture of each industry. Analysts then leverage their expertise and knowledge of the local markets to synthesize trends into digestible content for IBISWorld readers. Finally, each report is reviewed by one of IBISWorld’s editors, who provide quality assurance to ensure accuracy and readability.

IBISWorld relies on human-verified data and human-written analysis to compile each standard industry report. We do not use generative AI tools to write insights, although members can choose to leverage AI-based tools within the platform to generate additional analysis formats.

What data sources do IBISWorld analysts use?

Each industry report incorporates data and research from government databases, industry-specific sources, industry contacts, and our own proprietary database of statistics and analysis to provide balanced, independent and accurate insights.

Key data sources in New Zealand include:

  • Statistics New Zealand
  • New Zealand Company Register
  • Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment

Analysts also use industry specific sources to complement catch-all sources, although their perspective may focus on a particular organization or representative body, rather than a clear overview of all industry operations. However, when balanced against other perspectives, industry-specific sources provide insights into industry trends.

These sources include:

  • Industry and trade associations
  • Industry federations or regulators
  • Major industry players annual or quarterly filings

Finally, IBISWorld’s global data scientists maintain a proprietary database of macroeconomic and demand drivers, which our analysts use to help inform industry data and trends. They also maintain a database of statistics and analysis on thousands of industries, which has been built over our more than 50-year history and offers comprehensive insights into long-term trends.

How does IBISWorld forecast its data?

IBISWorld’s analysts and data scientists use the sources above to create forecasts for our proprietary datasets and industry statistics. Depending on the dataset, they may use regression analysis, multivariate analysis, time-series analysis or exponential smoothing techniques to project future data for the industry or driver. Additionally, analysts will leverage their local knowledge of industry operating and regulatory conditions to impart their best judgment on the forecast model.

IBISWorld prides itself on being a trusted, independent source of data, with over 50 years of experience building and maintaining rich datasets and forecasting tools. We are proud to be the keystone source of industry information for thousands of companies across the world.

Learn more about our methodology and data sourcing on the Help Center.