Cancelled flights to Christchurch put tournament up in air
Cancelled flights throughout the country have disrupted the national water polo tournament in Christchurch, which starts today.
Earlier yesterday Air New Zealand warned travellers to expect flight disruptions over the school holidays due to bad weather and a high number of sick staff.
Greg Foran, Air New Zealand chief executive, said the weather and staff sickness was putting pressure on the network, and the start of the holidays coincided with stormy weather conditions affecting most of the country.
A Hamilton woman, Nicola, said her family was thrown into ‘‘panic stations’’ on Thursday evening, when she was notified her Air NZ flight from Auckland to Christchurch, scheduled to leave yesterday, had been cancelled.
Nicola spent eight hours on the phone with Air New Zealand in total, over three separate phone calls. She only managed to speak to an operator once.
She was finally able to arrange a flight for her son – a tournament competitor – out of Hamilton this morning. It cost the family $420. ‘‘We were lucky to get him on a flight,’’ she said.
Nicola’s 16-year-old son will make it in time to play his first water polo game of the tournament, but the same can’t be said for all players.
‘‘My son was supposed to travel for Sea Wolf water polo and is now not going today,’’ Auckland woman Sandi Eickhoff said yesterday.
Eickhoff received a notification on Thursday night that her 2pm Friday flight from Auckland airport to Christchurch was cancelled. The next flight was scheduled for 2.30pm, but was sold out.
Four teams of roughly 20 each were said to be on the 2pm cancelled flight.
Jan Shearer, New Zealand Water Polo chief executive, said staff were ‘‘doing their best to accommodate changes in the draw, so teams can still play in the event’’.
Heavy snow blanketed parts of the South Island early yesterday, with snow in the Mackenzie Basin and Central Otago closing schools and state highways.
Aoraki/Mt Cook Village resident Sharlene McKinlay said it had been snowing all night in the area and there was moderate and continuous snow falling at 6.30am. McKinlay said there was also at least 30cm of snow on SH80 and snow ploughing was being done within the village only.
Alpine Energy said there was a power outage in some parts of inland South Canterbury.