Retailers continue to describe the Easter trading laws as confusing after another holiday weekend when several dozen businesses face prosecution for illegally trading.

All retailers are allowed to open today but as a public holiday they have to pay higher wages rates, which results in some food and beverage businesses imposing sucharges.

While this also occurred on Good Friday, no surcharges should have applied yesterday as Easter Sunday is not a public holiday, though it has heavy restrictions on what outlets can open.

A planned four-day strike over Easter by Air New Zealand cabin crew has been cancelled, but the saga is by no means over.

The EPMU made the announcement today that the strike notice, issued on behalf of 250 flight attendants working for Air New Zealand subsidiary Zeal 320, had been withdrawn.

This isn’t the end of the matter, however; this decision is due to legal issues rather than a sudden caving-on on the part of either Air New Zealand or the EPMU.

Auckland Airport is pointing to this year's early Easter as a major factor in last month's passenger statistics.

Total international passenger numbers were down 4.4 percent, compared to a year earlier, to 518,795 in April. The 12-month rolling total was up 3.1 percent to 6.5 million.

Domestic passenger numbers were up 23.6 percent to 531,061 for the month, with the 12-month rolling total up 11.2 percent to 5.6 million.

International aircraft movements rose 2.9 percent in April to 3218, with the 12-month rolling total up 1 percent to 38,827.