Hugs and tears are expected to flow freely as 900 Kiwis from across the globe are set to fly into New Zealand and go home or into the community without isolating. 

It comes as New Zealand - from today - opened up for isolation-free travel for Kiwis to about 120 countries. 

Five flights are due to land before 2pm from Singapore today. Any New Zealand citizens and residents aboard are no longer required to isolate either in a managed isolation facility or at home. 

However, the first flight has just now been reported to have been delayed. The expected arrival time has been pushed back from 11.45am to 1.15pm, Auckland Airport says. 

For many returnees, it will likely be the first time they have been able to come home in the two years New Zealand has maintained tight border restrictions. 

Emirates and Singapore Airlines will be operating the first long-haul flights carrying passengers who don't need to quarantine or isolate into the country, alongside Fiji Airways and Air New Zealand connecting from Fiji. 

There are 34 long-haul flights expected over the coming week. 

People greet loved-ones as they arrived back on the first Qantas flight from Australia at Auckland International Airport earlier this week. Photo / Brett Phibbs 

It marks the second major loosening at the border this week after Kiwis flying in from Australia were on Monday allowed to land and go about their business without first isolating. 

The twin border openings also mark the return of international holidays and travel, leading tourism companies to express excitement but warn much work needs to be done to reinvigorate the industry. 

'Stay open NZ' 

Earlier on Monday, John Davis flew in from Australia and into the waiting hugs of his daughter, who he hadn't seen in two years. 

"It feels amazing to be home, it's still quite unbelievable really," he said. 

"The one thing I want to say is 'stay open NZ'." 

He said all he wanted to do was spend time with his family, especially granddaughter Maddison Bryan, who is 12, but was 9 when he last saw her. 

Auckland Airport general manager corporate services Mary-Liz Tuck said her team are super excited to welcome so many returning Kiwis home. 

She additionally expected to soon see many Kiwis flying out of New Zealand. 

"We also know revenge travel is now on the cards for thousands of Kiwis who are keen to get out and see the world again, visit friends and family overseas, or re-establish business and cultural connections," she said. 

Pre-pandemic, New Zealanders made about three million trips overseas every year. About a quarter of Kiwis have been born overseas and an estimated one million live offshore. 

Auckland Airport currently has 14 airlines operating international scheduled services to 25 destinations. 

The Routeburn Track is part of the scenery New Zealand can offer. Photo / Supplied 

Pre-pandemic, the airport had 29 airlines, including seasonal carriers, heading to 43 international destinations. 

Tuck said Auckland Airport's international airline customers had reacted positively to the first steps to remove the need for travellers to isolate. 

"They're in a key planning phase right now for their future schedules, particularly those airlines that only connect to New Zealand during our peak summer travel season," she said. 

"We've already seen Air New Zealand release its plans for restarting long-haul passenger services, plus LATAM Airlines has announced it will re-establish its connection between Santiago, Chile and with Auckland Airport at the end of March." 

Tuck said the airport looked forward to New Zealand's next steps in reconnecting with the world, including allowing travellers on working holidays, international students and - by July - all travellers from Australia and visa waiver countries entering the nation. 

How to bring the tourists back? 

The reopening comes after New Zealand has maintained tight and largely closed borders for the better part of two years. 

That's left Tourism New Zealand facing a new problem of trying to recapture the hearts and minds of potential travellers after the nation has fallen out of the consciousness of many around the world as a tourist destination. 

For many visitors from the long-haul markets, New Zealand was already a once-in-five-to-10-year bucket list holiday, And now, health concerns, complexity and costs have increased since the pandemic. 

Rising fuel costs are throwing another spanner into the works for airlines. 

Chief executive Rene de Monchy said New Zealand is also now behind its competitors, including Australia, most notably in this part of the world. 

That country opened up to vaccinated tourists last month. Under current settings New Zealand could be five months behind. 

While the Government here is moving towards an earlier reopening to tourists than the July date currently planned, the existing timetable is another barrier to the recovery of the $17 billion international tourism industry, which once vied with dairy as the country's top foreign exchange earner. 

"Getting tourists to a long-haul or super-long-haul destination like New Zealand — that's the really big trick — they've got to be really emotionally invested," de Monchy said. 

Marketing has to cut through like never before to create that desire, and then help visitors deal with the new travel environment. 

"The second part of that is travel has become more complicated. It's probably going to be more expensive ... Do I need to do a pre-test or a post-test? What about insurance?"