Airlines in New Zealand have begun resuming operations post cyclone Gabrielle. However, strong and gusty winds continue to cause some cancellations and delays.
“About 592 Air New Zealand flights had been impacted due to the cyclone leading to disruptions affecting around 35,000 customers across the entire network. The airline is urgently trying to rebook customers onto alternative flights, including about 1,500 international customers awaiting replacement flights,” the airline said in a statement.
Flights resumed at Auckland airport today but with challenging winds.
Leanne Geraghty, chief customer and sales officer, Air New Zealand, said: “While it is good news that planes have started operating again, unfortunately, conditions at New Plymouth, Napier, and Gisborne mean that flying isn't possible until tomorrow at the earliest.
Domestic and international jet operations restarted from mid-morning today but were later suspended due to the strong wind gusts hitting Auckland airport.
The airline had added 11 flights to the domestic schedule to help with the recovery efforts and that more flights would follow. As well as adding domestic flights, ANZ has put on another three for international services to the Pacific Islands, where larger aircraft will be used to speed up the recovery process.
“Even though the flights are full, the airline is working as fast as possible to rebook the remaining international passengers and pulling out all the stops to get people flying again,” Geraghty added.
"We're ready and waiting to support the national state of emergency response and are talking to affected communities on how we can help. We're also supporting our own people who are still badly affected by the terrible weather. We will continue to monitor the situation and support wherever we can," Geraghty concluded.