Final Day for $25 departure fee marks the start of new era at Christchurch Airport

The departure of the final international passenger to pay a $25 departure fee at Christchurch Airport occurred at 3pm today, and signals the start of a new era for passengers leaving New Zealand from Christchurch.
From July1, anyone leaving New Zealand from Christchurch Airport no longer needs to pay a NZ$25 international departure fee. This is as a result of the long-awaited transition to a new departure fee collection process.
The old departure fee has been replaced by a Passenger Services Charge (PSC), consisting of $12.50 for both departing and arriving passengers, which is included in the airfare costs and collected by the airlines. No separate payment of the departure charge is necessary.
“Travellers have very clearly told us that the old departure fee process was an inconvenient extra step that did not help make an ideal final memory of New Zealand to take away with them,” said Christchurch Airport Chief Executive Jim Boult, “so we are very pleased to start a new era of simplified departure experiences for everyone.”
“Christchurch Airport is now in line with other major gateways around the world,” said Boult. “This change reduces processing time and gives travellers a much more streamlined departure. It is a continuation of our strong commitment to the New Zealand tourism industry and to the millions of passengers who travel through New Zealand’s major tourism gateway each year.”