Auckland International Airport Ltd. (AIA.AX) announced Monday that overall passenger numbers at Auckland Airport totaled 1.41 million during May, marking a 1 percent decrease from the same period last year. The drop stemmed largely from softer international passenger volumes, even as domestic traffic held steady. Queenstown Airport, however, posted gains in traffic for both international and domestic operations.

During May, Auckland Airport handled 745,889 international passenger movements, reflecting a 2 percent year-over-year decline amid a 4 percent reduction in international seat capacity. Meanwhile, average international load factors improved by 1.6 percentage points, reaching 82 percent.

Routes connecting Auckland to the Middle East remained affected by ongoing regional unrest, resulting in a 71 percent drop in passenger numbers and a 65 percent decrease in seat capacity compared to the prior year.

Domestic passenger movements at Auckland Airport stayed level at 666,386 for the month.

Overall aircraft movements and take-off weights at the airport decreased by 5 percent to 12,097 and by 1 percent to 561,038 tonnes, respectively, versus the previous year.

Queenstown Airport reported a 7 percent year-on-year increase in total passengers to 240,036, along with a 5 percent rise in total aircraft movements to 1,704. International passengers grew 3 percent while domestic passengers climbed 9 percent.

Year-to-date for the financial period, Auckland Airport's cumulative passenger movements reached 17.72 million, up 2 percent from the prior year, showing expansion in both international and domestic segments.

On the ASX, Auckland Intl. Airport shares advanced 2.21 percent to trade at A$6.96.

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