Kiwi passengers stranded in Beijing ahead of Xmas

A Kiwi passenger said it's "acrid smog that's preventing us from taking off". Photo / Getty

A Kiwi passenger said she was one of many people stranded in Beijing today, and blamed thick "acrid smog" for preventing her plane from taking off.

Gemma Peacocke contacted the Herald to say she had been delayed about six hours in the Chinese capital, along with several other New Zealanders trying to get home for Christmas.

Ms Peacocke said she had bought a ticket for the Air China 783 flight to Auckland.

She said she was still waiting to leave this morning after a six-hour delay.

Ms Peacocke said passengers sat on the runway for about four-and-a-half hours before being offloaded "into the acrid smog that's preventing us from taking off".

According to Google's flight information software, flight 783 was delayed nine hours.

Air China's website said the flight left at 2pm Auckland time.

Air China's Auckland office has not yet returned a message seeking comment on the flight.

Auckland Airport still expected the flight to arrive on time, but said this information depended on details the airline supplied to the airport.

Flights between the two cities typically take about 13 hours.

In September, Air New Zealand and Air China announced joint sales for a new daily direct service between Auckland and Beijing.

Smog has caused cancellations and delays at Beijing's airports several times in the past few years.

Authorities in Beijing issued their second-ever alert for dangerous air quality on Friday, the New York Times reported.

"The widespread pollution has several causes: growing industrialisation, China's heavy reliance on coal, and the ability of air pollutants to travel far from their sources, even in a light breeze," the Times added.