4 December 2018

Thunderstorms in Auckland are continuing to cause significant disruption to Air New Zealand services at Auckland Airport this morning.

Gate availability is causing delays to arriving aircraft and ground staff who load and unload aircraft are required to stop activity on the tarmac when lightning is in the vicinity.

A number of departures have also been delayed or cancelled as a result of several aircraft requiring engineering inspections due to possible lightning strikes. Additional engineers are being deployed and will work through this as quickly as possible.

Air New Zealand Chief Operational Integrity Standards Officer Captain David Morgan says while aircraft are insulated and designed to withstand lightning strikes, they must be inspected before they can depart.

“While we regret the disruption to our customers, safety must come first and we ask customers to bear with us today as we manage through the effects of the weather and carry out these inspections.

“Our team is doing everything possible to get our customers to their destinations however due to the uncontrollable nature of the weather and expected flow-on effects customers should consider whether or not they need to travel today,” says Captain Morgan.

The airline is expecting significant flow-on disruption across its domestic network throughout the day.

Customers are advised to consider deferring any non-urgent travel, while those that must travel today are advised to expect disruptions and to consult Air New Zealand’s Arrivals and Departures page for the latest information.

Customers who no longer require to travel automatically have the option to transfer their booking to a later flight today or tomorrow or hold the fare value in credit toward future travel for up to 12 months without the need to advise our contact centre today.

The airline’s contact centre is currently experiencing extremely high call volumes. If travel is not urgent, customers are asked to please defer calling. Those who are able are encouraged to make changes to their bookings online.

The airline recommends customers ensure they are subscribed to Air New Zealand’s Travel Alert service to receive ongoing updates.

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