Air NZ, Qantas to resume flights

Photo / Janna Dixon

Air New Zealand's domestic and trans-Tasman flights will go ahead as scheduled tomorrow - except those to and from Queenstown, where flights remain grounded due to volcanic ash from a Chilean volcano.

Air New Zealand announced tonight it expected to operate all flights tomorrow morning, except domestic services to and from Queenstown, which are cancelled until midday. A further update is expected by 10am tomorrow.

Air New Zealand resumed flights in the lower South Island this afternoon, after earlier cancelling all flights to and from Christchurch, Dunedin and Invercargill airports. Queenstown flights remained grounded all day.

Meanwhile, Qantas announced that it would resume some service to New Zealand tomorrow - the first time in nearly a week its planes would cross the Tasman Sea.

The airline said it would resume most flights to Auckland, Wellington and Queenstown tomorrow.

Pacific Blue, Qantas and Jetstar flights remained on the ground this evening, as the ash cloud from the eruption of Chilean volcano Puyehue-Cordon Caulle - travelling right around the Southern Hemisphere - continues to frustrate fliers.

Jetstar said a decision about tomorrow's flights would be made later tonight.

Until yesterday, Air New Zealand had been continuing to fly all trans-Tasman routes and also domestic routes at a lower altitude to avoid the ash cloud. That decision meant it was burning 10 per cent more fuel.

Meanwhile, New Zealand Post said there could be disruptions to mail service.

In some areas, it was transporting items by road rather than air, which could cause delays.

Not all products would be affected, it said.

MetService, which had been providing the ash forecast on behalf of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to airlines, said as long as there was detectable ash it would continue monitoring the situation.

"Because the eruption has not yet ended, it is not possible to state how much longer volcanic ash clouds will affect New Zealand's skies.

"It is likely that the location and amount of ash cloud will vary considerably over the next few days."

The New Zealand Air Line Pilot's Association (Alpa) said it was working closely with its pilots to assess and determine the safest flight conditions.

The ultimate decision about flying rested with the Pilot in Command, who relied on information from aircraft manufacturers, airlines, service providers such as volcanologists, meteorologists, air traffic services and CAA.

Alpa said its members were working within the international framework which detailed all aspects of aviation safety.

- NZPA