Electra Diverted From Rongotai

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30108, 17 April 1963, Page 16

Electra Diverted From Rongotai

(New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, April 16. A Qantas Electra airliner, bound from Sydney to Wellington, was diverted to Whenuapai this afternoon because Rongotai airport was closed by bad weather. The aircraft later took off for Ohakea with its Wellington passengers and embarked those for the return flight to Sydney.

More than 100 Easter travellers booked on today’s N.A.C. flights might not reach their homes tonight because of bad weather and airport closures, an N.A.C. spokesman said tonight. Today, Wellington airport was closed all day and there were partial closings at Napier and Gisborne. All

South Island airports were open.

The spokesman said that tonight there was “not an aircraft to spare” and planes would be arriving at some points throughout the coun-

try up to as late as 1 a.m. “We hope to get most people home; but about 100 to 150 may not make it tonight,” he said.

Because Wellington airport was closed, IXI3 and Friendship flights were diverted to Paraparaumu and Viscounts to Palmerston North. These changes caused delays of up to three hours, the spokesman said. As well, several flights had had to overfly Napier and Gisborne. “Buses tonight will take

persons to places like Gisborne, Tauranga and Hamil-

ton, where planes cannot land after dark," he said. He said that because Christchurch airport was closed yesterday, more than 100 per-

sons travelled overnight by rail from Christchurch to Blenheim. They flew out in special flights from Woodbourne throughout the morning.

Although Christchurch airport was open today manyin and out-bound passengers were delayed because of Wellington airport being closed Aircraft into and out of Christchurch were operating sometimes up to three hours late. No flights were cancelled and all passengers were accommodated.