As Tropical Cyclone Vaianu makes it way towards New Zealand, Air New Zealand and Auckland Airport have issued warnings about potential disruptions to air travel.
Cyclone Vaianu, which earlier this week caused widespread flight cancellations in Fiji, is expected to hit New Zealand’s Northland Region – home to the popular Bay of Islands – late Saturday, according to MetService New Zealand.
The storm is then forecast to move across the North Island on Sunday.
“As well as dangerous winds and heavy rain, large waves are expected for coastal areas,” MetService says on social media.
“Northeasterly swells are gradually building now and are expected to peak on Sunday with heights of 6-8 metres for the northeastern coastlines of the North Island.”
With Northland predicted to bear the full force of the storm, a state of emergency was declared for the region at 5pm (local time) on Friday for an initial period of seven days, RNZ reported.
The storm is expected to hit the upper South Island early Sunday afternoon.
Auckland Airport says it is “closely monitoring weather conditions” as Cyclone Vaianu nears.
“Safety always comes first at Auckland Airport, and our teams are preparing for any potential impact to flights,” it states on social media.
It advises travellers to check with their carriers for the latest updates before heading to the airport, allow extra time for journeys and check the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi website for potential road disruptions.
Meanwhile, Air New Zealand is offering impacted passengers flexibility for travel on domestic New Zealand flights to/from all North Island airports or Blenheim between Saturday (11 April) and Monday (13 April).
In a message to the travel trade, the national carrier advised that customers can move to an earlier or later flight within 14 days at no extra cost, or hold the ticket value as credit for up to 12 months. Standard fare rules apply for refunds.
If flights are cancelled due to Cyclone Vaianu, rebooking follows the airline’s disruption policy.
It adds that any extra costs, including accommodation and meals, are the traveller’s responsibility and may be covered by travel insurance.
“Air New Zealand will continue to monitor the situation and advise any changes to these guidelines accordingly,” the carrier states.
The last major tropical cyclone to hit New Zealand occured in early 2023, when Cyclone Gabrielle ravaged parts of the country.
