Traffic frustrations heading to Auckland Airport have prompted calls for rail to the airport.

Battling traffic to and from Auckland Airport is like travelling in a third world country, Labour's transport spokeswoman Sue Moroney says.

Moroney said the latest grind of traffic and roadworks around the airport was a national embarrassment and showed the city was crying out for a train line or light rail service.

Increased congestion heading into the peak Christmas and summer holiday period has caused major headaches for travellers, with reports of people missing flights after being stuck in traffic for multiple hours.

MARION VAN DIJK/FAIRFAX NZ Labour MP and transport spokeswoman Sue Moroney says government inaction has meant getting to and from the airport was like travelling in a 'third world country'.

It prompted transport authorities to form a taskforce this week to see how they can address the backlog in and out of the airport.

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Moroney said that was well overdue.

BEVAN READ/FAIRFAX NZ The NZTA says its $140m upgrade of State Highway 20A near Auckland Airport should be finished next year, which will help ease congestion.

She said current journey times between the city and airport were hurting Auckland's reputation as an international tourism and business hub.

"It's ridiculous that our biggest city is complete chaos when it comes to traffic. We seem like a third world country when we don't have public transport options."

The taskforce, involving NZ Transport Agency, Auckland Transport and Auckland Airport, was set to look at immediate remedies to improve travel times and congestion.

Auckland Airport/SUPPLIED People heading to or from Auckland Airport have been warned to add an extra half hour to usual travel times over December and January.

NZTA said it came in response to "a combination of higher than expected traffic volumes, wet weather, incidents and road improvement projects have created recent delays in the area".



Part of the plan included changes to lane configurations at the State Highway 20B interchange before Christmas, changes to traffic signal times, changes to lane configurations closer to both the domestic and international terminals, and "special" traffic management plans.



The NZTA also posted a statement on Facebook calling for people to factor in an extra half hour travel time, which was met with a backlash of criticism.



Many people commented they had already missed flights, while others voiced their frustration at the gridlock.



"Add 30 minutes to your trip....what a joke. Try adding 2 hours to your trip!!!!" Andy Cook wrote.

"Should allow up to 3 hours if the other day was anything to go by", Matt Young added.

AIRPORT RAIL?

MICHAEL BRADLEY/STUFF About 30,000 passengers are expected to pass through Auckland Airport every day over summer.

Comments on the NZTA page also showed renewed support for an airport rail link.



"Stuff the road and car lobbies - build a fast train line to the airport," Jon Reeves wrote.

A commuter train service that had long been the preferred option was scrapped by the NZTA in June in favour of light rail or a dedicated bus lane.

In a statement on Thursday, NZTA Auckland regional director Ernst Zollner said any decision would have to wait until next year after "the completion of current planning work on the future mass transit corridors from both Auckland CBD to the airport, and Manukau CBD to the airport".

FIONA GOODALL/GETTY IMAGES Taxis and driving or the SkyBus are the only transport option at Auckland International Airport.

"This will determine the precise mode (light rail or bus) and routes for these, and the timing for construction and introducing new services," he said.



NZ Transport Agency highway manager Brett Gliddon said last month, on a tour of the new SH20 to airport upgrade, that a trench was being dug that was designed to allow for a heavy or light rail connection running down the middle of the motorway.

A spokeswoman for Transport Minister Simon Bridges deferred all queries on the topic to NZTA.



Moroney said Labour was supportive of either heavy or light rail.



She said she expected it would be a talking point of next year's election campaign and "will be back on the agenda under a Labour government".

Green Party transport spokeswoman Julie Anne Genter said they had been advocating for rail for a long time and said it was the most obvious solution to the traffic woes.

Green Party Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter said successive governments have failed to invest in public transport to the airport.

"It's disgraceful we've got the government throwing billions at a new highway when that money could be put into public transport," she said.



While there was an airport bus, run by Melbourne-owned operator SkyBus, it was unreliable and slow, with infrequent and inconvenient stops, Genter said.



"It's embarrassing that people arrive in Auckland and this is what people see as their first impression," she said.

BAD FOR BUSINESS

Auckland Chamber of Commerce head Michael Barnett said the traffic situation was a "nightmare" that has been building for multiple years.

SUPPLIED Auckland Chamber of Commerce chief Michael Barnett said the traffic chaos should "send a message to transport infrastructure decision-makers and funders on the need to dramatically lift their game, with dire consequences if they don’t".

The city's increase in visitor numbers, and a growing business precinct next to the airport was a good thing, Barnett said.

However he said this week's formation of a taskforce to address traffic concerns was too little too late.

It was "a classic example of the inability of planning authorities to respond with the infrastructure needed to support the business-led growth," he said.

"Setting up a taskforce needs to be accompanied by a determination to dramatically lift the pace at which authorities transfer proposed improvements to the transport network into action on the ground.

"We need to see the bull dozers working."

Barnett said the root cause of recent airport gridlock could be traced back to the long-term failure of authorities to address the lack of capacity of the Puhinui Rd access from the west (SH20B).

He said there needed to be a mass transit solution – either rapid bus and/or rail from the airport to Otahuhu-Manukau and the main commuter rail network to the city.

An Auckland Transport spokesman said they were working with NZTA and were committed "to significantly improve public transport including from the CBD to the airport as well as from Manukau to the airport".