There is an "absolute buzz" in Auckland Airport this morning with 12,000 people expected to fly in and out of the region with its borders open after 119 days.
Air New Zealand's Leanne Gerathy said Wednesday marks a "really exciting day for us" with about 21,000 people flying across its network.
"A huge day for us it's incredibly exciting."
Police say the reopening of the region's borders at 11.59pm on Tuesday went smoothly and there were minimal traffic delays.
This is expected to change over the course of Wednesday due to peak-hour traffic.
READ MORE: Top tips for travelling across Auckland's borders
Spot checks are being carried out by police in Mercer, but it has been described as "not very busy" so far.
In Northland there are two checkpoints south of Whangārei being manned by police and iwi.
They are located on SH1 at Uretiti and SH12 Maungaturoto.
Police have been described as pulling over most vehicles at Uretiti, waving through trucks and service vehicles.
Those travelling out of the region between December 15 and January 17 must be fully vaccinated and have their My Vaccine Pass on them or have evidence of a negative Covid-19 test taken no more than 72 hours beforehand.
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