Air NZ building new regional lounge at Auckland Airport

Construction will begin on a new Air New Zealand regional lounge at Auckland Airport next month.

The new lounge will be big enough for up to 265 customers - three times as many as the current lounge.

It's expected to open in about nine months time on level one of the terminal, offering expansive views of the runway.

The construction is part of a $60 million investment in lounges throughout New Zealand.

The new lounge will be big enough for up to 265 customers.
The new lounge will be big enough for up to 265 customers. Photo credit: Air New Zealand.

Wellington's domestic terminal lounge is getting an upgrade, too, with a 10 percent increase in capacity to 374. It will have a café and bar, barista station, business lounge, quiet areas and a self-service food and drinks station.

There are also new lounges on the way for Tauranga, Christchurch and Nelson. 

Air NZ expects to see annual passenger numbers grow from 17 million to 19 million over the next two years.

Last month, Qantas announced it was upgrading its lounge at Auckland Airport's international terminal as part of a worldwide investment in passenger services.

Newshub.