'Incredibly limited' flights to and from Wellington after mass ...
Tim Gorman/Supplied
Low cloud at Wellington Airport disrupted flights on Tuesday and over the weekend.
Air New Zealand has warned that flights to Wellington will be “incredibly limited” over the coming days after low cloud in the capital on Tuesday led to the cancellation of more than 100 flights and left passengers stranded overnight at Auckland and Wellington airports.
Air New Zealand chief integrity and safety officer Captain David Morgan said the airline cancelled 110 flights as a result of the weather on Tuesday, and that there may be additional cancellations or delays on Wednesday as it moves aircraft and crew to the right places around the country.
Fog also caused major disruption to flights in and out of Wellington over the weekend.
“Given the significant disruption yesterday, as well as over the weekend, availability over the coming days to and from Wellington is incredibly limited,” Morgan said. “We have been actively rebooking customers to travel on the next available services, but it may take three to four days to be able to reaccommodate passengers.”
Customers who can’t find a suitable flight or who no longer wish to travel are able to hold their fare in credit, he said.
While the skies in the capital have cleared, Wellington Airport spokesperson Phil Rennie said Tuesday’s disruption, which saw long queues at both Auckland and Wellington airports as passengers attempted to rebook, has had flow-on effects.
“It may take airlines a day or two to clear the backlog,” he said.
Rennie said there were “a lot of people stranded” at Wellington Airport on Tuesday, so the airport provided bedding and ordered in pizza.
The some-40 people stranded at Auckland Airport’s international terminal overnight were also provided with blankets, along with snacks, water and meal vouchers, a spokesperson said.
“We understand airlines are working hard to re-book travellers today,” the Auckland Airport spokesperson added. “For more information on this and any flight cancellation details, we encourage you to please contact airlines.”
Four Jetstar flights were also cancelled on Tuesday as a result of the weather. Most passengers on theses flights were rebooked on services later that day or on Wednesday, but several opted for flight vouchers instead.
At the time of writing, Air New Zealand’s website showed three available flights from Auckland to Wellington on Wednesday, with fares starting from $386 for those travelling with carry-on luggage only. There were five or fewer seats available on each flight for those with checked luggage, and these cost from $406. The four flights on Thursday were advertised at the same prices.
All Jetstar flights between Auckland and Wellington on Wednesday and Thursday were sold out, and the one flight on Friday – leaving at 6:45am – cost from $309, the airline’s website showed.
