Volcanic Ash Update 3

Volcanic Ash Update 3

Air New Zealand operated 473 flights and carried more than 26,500 passengers around New Zealand and across the Tasman yesterday.

By working closely with the Civil Aviation Authority, Metsevice and others the airline was able to safely make adjustments to flight paths and cruising altitudes so as to completely avoid the ash and keep providing a safe service to the travelling public.

Air New Zealand General Manager Airline Operations and Safety and Chief Pilot, Captain David Morgan says, “It would have been far easier to simply cancel flights and it’s taken a lot of effort by our Operations teams to develop alternative flight plans to continue to get passengers to their destinations.”

In order to avoid the ash, domestic services have been operating up to a maximum 5500 metres, while trans-Tasman flights departing Christchurch and Wellington were given new flight paths heading much further north than normal before crossing the Tasman.

“The extra distance involved required the use of 10% more fuel, but has meant customers were able to safely get to where they needed to go.”

Captain Morgan says the Metservice has advised that the ash cloud is now much higher and the CAA is comfortable for domestic and trans-Tasman services to continue to operate.

“We will not fly through ash and are constantly taking guidance from CAA and the Metservice to ensure we can continue to carry passengers only where safe routes and altitudes are available.”

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