Flights diverted to Chch

Press, 8 March 1988, Page 1

Flights diverted to Chch

DAVE WILSON

Passengers at Christchurch Airport wait for a flight to Auckland yesterday. From left are Mr Art Van Leeuwen, Mrs Mavis Van Leeuwen, Mr Douglas Tremaine and Mrs Catherine Ferguson. They, like many others, found . themselves stranded in Christchurch as other New Zealand airports were closed because of bad weather. They waited all day for a flight but soon after this

photograph was taxeq at t> p.m. were told that all (flights to Auckland for the resriof the day were cancelled. Mr (Tremaine, from California, was particularly frustrated as he'had flown out of Christchurch ! yesterday morning and arrived* at Auckland only to find the .'plane had to return to Christchurch. Mr and Mrs Van Leeuweh are New Zealanders, and are! on their way7to Honolulu for !a holiday.

The tail of Cyclone Bola wrought havoc on international and domestic airline schedules throughout New Zealand yesterday.

Wellington Airport was closed for most of the day. It was blanketed by low cloud while Wellington was swept by galeforce southerly winds. Auckland Airport was closed from 10.45 a.m. with winds gusting to 60 knots across the runway.

Christchurch was New Zealand’s only operational international airport throughout the day and four Auckland-bound international flights had to divert there.

At least 500 international passengers, 300 from a Continental Airlines flight and 200 from a Qantas flight, were last night accommodated in Christchurch.

Airline officials said hopes of getting the passengers to Auckland today were slim, with poor weather forecast.

An Air New Zealand spokesman, Mr Peter Taylor, said the airline had been forced to cancel hundreds of domestic sector flights and thousands of passengers were affected. “We have had aircraft locked in by the weather at Wellington; it has completely thrown the schedules. At least five coachloads of passengers were driven from Wellington to Palmerston North to catch flights.” : More coachloads of passengers were driven between Auckland and Hamilton to connect with services from airports unaffected by the weather. So much traffic was diverted to Hamilton that at one point a Boeing 737 from Christchurch could not land and had to return

to Christchurch, he said. Wellington Airport reopened late yesterday afternoon but was marginal for flights.

In Christchurch Air New Zealand had to cancel several international services because of aircraft trapped in Auckland. The airline’s passenger supervisor, Mr Laurie Watkins, said that passengers on the services to Australia had been rebooked on Qantas flights.

Six domestic flights from Wellington and six from Auckland were cancelled. Two flights to Wellington were diverted to Palmerston North and three others were cancelled. Four flights to Auckland were diverted to either Palmerston North or Hamilton and a further five were cancelled. Another flight to Auckland returned to Christchurch.

A Hight from Christchurch to Dunedin was also cancelled because the airline did not have any available aircraft.

“It is almost unparalleled to have both Auckland and Wellington closed at the same time. It has put pressure on Christchurch,” said Mr Watkins. Ansett New Zealand’s main trunk schedules were also thrown into chaos, with at least four flights from Christchurch cancelled and others diverted to Palmerston North.

The general manager (operations), Mr Ken McDonald, said he could not indicate the total number of flights affected. The Meteorological Service said last evening that bad weather was expected to continue at least until Wednesday. The forecast for Auckland today is for strong south-easterly winds and rain, and for Wellington, southerly gales and rain.