Nightmare flight to Sth Island

Passengers vomited and held each other's hands during a terrifying flight from Auckland to Christchurch on Monday.

A passenger on the Jetstar Airbus A320 said the turbulence was so bad they thought the plane would shake apart and the pilots were applauded when they landed safely.

"It was unbelievable, I was so scared," she said. "A lady next to me held my hand. Other people were holding [one anothers'] hands. Some people were screaming, and being sick."

The flight hit bad turbulence about 20 minutes north of Christchurch.

MetService forecaster Marcel Roux said the unusually rough ride was a result of a jetstream coinciding with the south-westerly air flow over the Southern Alps.

The Civil Aviation Authority said there were no safety issues.