13 Apr 2022

In photos: Warm welcome as border reopens to Australians

4:47 pm on 13 April 2022

It was a day of emotional reunions and cherished first meetings at Auckland Airport today as the border reopened and the first flights across the Tasman landed.

Emotional scenes at Auckland Airport after after the first fights from across the Tasman landed since the border reopening on 13 April 2022.

Emotional scenes at Auckland Airport after after the first fights from across the Tasman landed since the border reopening on 13 April 2022. Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi

Family and friends were reunited with some meeting relatives for the very first time.

Some had been waiting since 4am to welcome their loved ones home.

Emotional scenes at Auckland Airport after after the first fights from across the Tasman landed since the border reopening on 13 April 2022.

Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi

Emotional scenes at Auckland Airport after after the first fights from across the Tasman landed since the border reopening on 13 April 2022.

Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi

Lamingtons, feijoas and peanut slabs were among the foods people were craving after arriving home for the first time in more than two years.

Emotional scenes at Auckland Airport after after the first fights from across the Tasman landed since the border reopening on 13 April 2022.

Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi

Emotional scenes at Auckland Airport after after the first fights from across the Tasman landed since the border reopening on 13 April 2022.

Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi

Over 4000 people were expected to travel across the ditch today on eleven Air New Zealand flights.

The first flight touched down at 6am in Auckland from Perth.

The first fights from across the Tasman landed in New Zealand after the border reopened on 13 April 2022.

Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi

The first fights from across the Tasman landed in New Zealand after the border reopened on 13 April 2022.

Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi

Air New Zealand chief customer and sales officer Leanne Geraghty said the airline added an extra 96 trans-Tasman flights for April through to June, an increase of approximately 20,000 seats.

The first fights from across the Tasman landed in New Zealand after the border reopened on 13 April 2022.

Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi

The first fights from across the Tasman landed in New Zealand after the border reopened on 13 April 2022.

Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi

Emotional scenes at Auckland Airport after after the first fights from across the Tasman landed since the border reopening on 13 April 2022.

Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi

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