More Australians are taking advantage of additional flights to visit Queenstown, according to traffic figures for the last six months of 2008 from Queenstown Airport Corporation (QAC).
International passengers grew to 51,675, an 18.6% increase compared to the same period last year, supported by a rise of 21% in international flights from the east coast of Australia.
QAC chief executive Steve Sanderson said direct flights from across the Tasman continued to be popular in both the winter and summer seasons.
"The trend does support short-haul end destination as people look closer to home for holidays in the current economic environment."
Destination Queenstown acting chief executive Graham Budd said there was an obvious direct correlation between the increases in international passengers and the flights from the Australian east coast.
"They are terrific numbers for us and more evidence that our strategy of targeting the east coast market for all year travel is working and is the right one," he said.
"Airlines don't make decisions lightly to put on services and we're delighted with the confidence they've shown in Queenstown.
"It's our objective to get even more flights into town, not only in the peak seasons, but also in the autumn and spring shoulder seasons."
Domestic passengers were slightly down for the same period last year, to 312,733, a 2.7% decreasedespite a 3.7% increase in flights.
The increase in the number of flights revolves around more propeller-driven ATRs being used over the same period last year.
Queenstown Airport saw 364,408 passengers move through its terminal for the half year ending December 2008.
Mr Sanderson said passenger numbers through the airport were on a par with last year.
"Considering the economic downturn, this is a very pleasing outcome."
The figures released yesterday came ahead of a cut in weekly Qantas domestic flights from January 26.
The cuts were blamed on softening demand and increased competition.
The Australian-owned carrier will reduce its Christchurch-Queenstown services from 14 to nine per week.
Air New Zealand said there were no plans to reduce the 45 flights a week between Christchurch and the resort.
Mr Budd said the cuts had to be put in the context of what Qantas was doing across New Zealand.
"They are reducing their overall capacity in the domestic market and I believe they are taking out a plane, basically.
"It's not about lack of faith in Queenstown; it's simply what they are doing across the country."
