Flight disruptions: Travellers asked to defer journeys if possible

Airlines are warning customers of cancellations and delays as adverse weather conditions continue to affect flights around the country.

This morning Air New Zealand recommended customers delay non essential travel or allowed for flexibility as the upper North Island is hammered by a destructive storm, bringing winds gusting up to 140km/h.

"There will unfortunately be significant disruptions across our network today due to the storm and the temporary closure of the Auckland Airport runway which affected many of our flights last night.

"If your need for travel is not immediate or you are only travelling for the day, we recommend deferring your travel," it said.

Due to this advice, the airline is allowing customers to change their ticket to a different flight, in the same class of travel and before April 21, without penalty.

⚠️ Adverse weather conditions continue to affect flights throughout New Zealand 🌧 We recommend delaying non essential travel. For the latest information and flexibility, please see 👉 https://t.co/IIUbovshek

— Air New Zealand✈️ (@FlyAirNZ) April 10, 2018

Customers can also credit their ticket payment towards travel within the next 12 months or change their travel to another Air NZ domestic destination without penalty.

However, Air NZ said any customer who opts to commence their journey as planned must be advised that they do so at their own risk and the airline will not be liable for any costs associated with disrupted travel.

So far today, the only Air NZ flight to be cancelled is flight NZ5063 between Auckland and Nelson, which was due to depart at 6.50am this morning.

An Air NZ spokeswoman said a number of domestic and international flights due to land in Auckland have also had to divert to other ports.

Customers due to travel today are advised to consult the airline's Arrivals and Departures page for up to date information.

⚠️📞 Our Contact Centre hold times are currently very high due to weather disruptions across our network. If your travel is not immediate, please consider calling at a later date. We appreciate your continued patience and understanding.

— Air New Zealand✈️ (@FlyAirNZ) April 10, 2018

Jetstar Airways has also been affected by the strong winds, with flights from Wellington and Auckland both suffering delays - with the longest delay this morning sitting around an hour and a half.

A Jetstar spokesperson said seven services were cancelled yesterday due to Auckland weather and the closed Auckland Airport runway yesterday evening.

A further two flights were diverted due to the closed runway and were delayed landing into Auckland last night.