Demand at Auckland Airport in New Zealand has been at an incredible high, and it seems to have paid off as the airport has seen large profits reported over the past year.

Staff at the airport will reportedly receive a $1,500 bonus as a result of the profits, which rose to $264.2 million on revenue of $573.9 million, up some 17 percent over the previous year to June 30, 2016.

Sir Henry van der Heyden, the Chairman of Auckland Airport, commented, "The company has had an excellent 12 months and delivered strong results for its community and city, its country and investors."

Tourist demand for travel to New Zealand has always been high, but the rise in profits seen at Auckland (the country's primary and largest international gateway) is the result of a determined effort by the airport to improve infrastructure and plan for the future by staying ahead of growth.

Recent work has seen the expansion of Pier B, the expansion of the international terminal's upper level and departures area, and the addition of more remote parking stands for aircraft.

It can also be attributed to a number of positive effects from airlines serving the airport, including Emirates switching all flights to the A380 superjumbo and the growth of national carrier Air New Zealand. Qatar Airways will also commence a new nonstop flight from Doha in 2017, becoming one of the longest flights in the world.

As a result of this positive airline growth, a corresponding rise in passenger figures for the year to 17.3 million has been seen, up 9 percent on the previous year. This growth was across the board, both in domestic and international passengers.

This growth in passenger figures contributed to the increased revenue. According to a recent news release, revenue growth was achieved through strong performances by retail (up 19.3 percent to $157.5 million), aeronautical (landing and passenger charges up 10.3 percent to $258.3 million) and transport (up 11.8 percent to $52.1 million). The strong growth in retail revenue this financial year provides the company with confidence to construct a new international retail hub, part of the upgrade of the international departure area.

The expansion work already done on the airport has allowed it to embrace this growth, which was higher than anticipated but within the means of the new additions.

Auckland Airport has a 30-year plan, which will see it incorporate the domestic and international terminals into a new combined terminal with greater capacity and the ability to better serve the transit needs of passengers. It will also be able to handle more planes and more passengers. Ultimately, the airport plans to expand the site to the north, building a new runway and extra parking spaces.

"Our continuing strong growth and performance means that we are confident that the company will continue to deliver strong financial results in the next 12 months," van der Heyden said.