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Wellington Airport is operational again today after high winds saw most flights cancelled yesterday, with the capital subject to a rare red high wind warning.
Around 200 flights were cancelled in Wellington yesterday, with Air NZ's head of airports Kate Boyer telling RNZ it cancelled 157 flights, affecting thousands of passengers.
Air New Zealand chief operating officer Alex Marren said this morning both jet and regional aircraft have been able to land today.
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Two flights were diverted however due to strong wind gusts.
Aidan O’Connor was on one of the them - a flight from Christchurch that turned back after they were unable to land.
He said he was in Christchurch for a cricket conference yesterday alongside 100 other people when the bad weather began.
"Most of the group attending were able to fly out to other parts of the country, but unfortunately the the 9 or 10 of us that were due to fly to Wellington yesterday had our flight cancelled,” he said.
O’Connor said he spent the night in Christchurch, before waking up at 4am today to attempt to fly out this morning.
People at Christchurch Airport (Source: Supplied)
"Tried to fly out at 6.25 [and] got all the way to Wellington. Tried to land once, and the pilot all of a sudden revved the engine up and we were up in the air again."
He said the plane tried to land a second time, before the pilot announced they would be turning back to Christchurch.
"I think there was hope after the first the landing and then I think as soon as the pilot revved to get the plane back up the area there was a big sigh.
"It was a collective groan, even before the announcement came on," he laughed.
O’Connor said he’d flown in and out of Wellington many times, but said this time "certainly wasn’t smooth'.
“There was a few bumps and air pockets. A few jumps and we basically got to the same spot twice and then both times the pilots said ‘no it's too much we just can't safely land'."
He said there was a “resigned” feeling at the airport, but he understood the pilot was simply doing their job in taking care of the 200-plus passengers on board.
"I saw a number of other flights were able to land, but not our one. But I'm sure they have their reasons for it. They've got to worry about 200 people with their safety."
He had since managed to sort flights home to Wellington through Auckland.
Marren said conditions were expected to improve today but there was the potential for further disruption this morning.
"Safety remains our highest priority. Our teams are working hard to take care of our customers to get them safely to their destination as quickly as possible, and we appreciate their patience and understanding while we work through this disruption.
"We recommend customers check the Air New Zealand app or website for the latest updates on their flight status. Our contact centre is currently experiencing high call volumes, so we encourage customers to self-manage their travel where possible. Eligible changes, including deferring travel, can be made via the ‘Manage My Booking’ feature on the Air NZ app or website."
Wellington Airport said this morning advised customers to keep an eye on its website and check in with airlines for specific flight information.
"It’s still wild and windy here in Wellington but conditions have eased enough for some flights to begin operating. However it will take time for airlines to clear the backlog and there may still be disruptions."
