Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Reuters
Reuters
Business

Auckland Airport suspends earnings guidance due to virus-driven border controls

FILE PHOTO: An Air New Zealand aircraft passes a fuel truck on the tarmac of Auckland Airport during fuel shortages in New Zealand, September 20, 2017. REUTERS/Nigel Marple/File Photo

Auckland International Airport <AIA.NZ> suspended its full-year earnings guidance on Monday after New Zealand announced stringent border controls over the weekend to combat the fast-spreading coronavirus.

The country on Saturday announced the world's tightest border controls to tackle the outbreak, requiring all incoming travellers, including its own citizens, to self-isolate for two weeks starting from midnight Sunday.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the extreme measures were needed to prevent the rapid spread of the virus.

FILE PHOTO: New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern speaks during a joint press conference held with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison at Admiralty House in Sydney, Australia, February 28, 2020. REUTERS/Loren Elliott/File Photo

The airport operator had already cut its full-year profit outlook at the end of last week due to a coronavirus-driven fall in demand.

Air New Zealand <AIR.NZ> also said on Monday it was cutting its domestic capacity by 30% in April and May, and that it would slash its long-haul network by 85% in the coming months.

An industry body recently estimated that passenger revenue for airlines could drop by as much as $113 billion this year.

(Reporting by Nikhil Kurian Nainan in Bengaluru; Editing by Alexander Smith and Jan Harvey)

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.