Air NZ flights cancelled for safety checks

Passengers were hauled off a plane minutes before takeoff tonight after Air New Zealand was told to inspect several of its planes.

Four flights were cancelled around the country, disrupting the plans of some 400 passengers, after the airline was told by Seattle plane maker Boeing to inspect a part of the rudder assembly of eight of its 14 Boeing 737s.

One affected customer, Paul Harrison, said that passengers due to fly from Auckland to Wellington at 6pm were given very short notice about the inspections.

"We were already on the plane when we were told that all their 737s were grounded because they needed to be checked," he said.

Air NZ said it was trying to put the passengers on alternative flights this evening.

Spokesman David Morgan said the inspections would take less than two hours.

- NZPA