Customs’ busiest Christmas for 175 years

Customs Minister Nicky Wagner says passenger numbers at New Zealand airports increased by five percent in December, compared to the same period in 2013, making the 2014 Christmas period the busiest since the Customs Service was formed 175 years ago.

“More international passengers travelled through New Zealand airports over Christmas than ever before. This is a fitting way to mark 175 years of the Customs Service in New Zealand,” Ms Wagner says.

“Customs has been well prepared for the increase with more staff being allocated to the busy areas for the summer season.

“Customs provided a welcome here and a welcome home to both visitors and returning Kiwis, with just over 540,000 people arriving in December 2014 – approximately 25,000 more than the previous year.

“Passengers using SmartGate border processing technology increased by about 19 percent in December 2014, compared to the same period in 2013, with nearly 175,000 arriving passengers using SmartGate during the month.

“Last year, Customs introduced SmartGate to US, UK and Canadian ePassport users and reduced the age of eligible users from 16 to 12 years.

“This has enabled more people including families to use the automated system when arriving and departing from major airports in New Zealand.

“I’m pleased that in its 175^th year, Customs is using cutting-edge technology to make travel smoother for legitimate passengers while allowing Customs officers to spend more time focusing on high-risk travellers,” Ms Wagner says.