Taped-up Air New Zealand plane alarms traveller

Aviation Industry Association chief executive Irene King said no engineer would let a plane out of a hangar with duct tape stuck to its exterior. Photo / Janna Dixon

Don't worry - that isn't duct tape holding your Air New Zealand plane together.

It's "high-speed" tape, a classic aluminium-based contrivance whose nickname has gradually sped up over the years from "100 miles an hour" tape to "1000 miles an hour", chasing advances in aviation.

But it hardly inspired confidence for Bryan when he saw it on his plane on his way out of Queenstown.

"The old Boeing was what got me," he said. "They patched up where the screws sit with bits of tape."

He wondered whether the plane would make it to Auckland in one piece - it looked more like the hack jobs his mates did on their motorbikes. "I showed a mate the photos and told him - 'Look, you're not the only one who covers machines in duct tape."'

Aviation commentator Peter Clark said he could see where Bryan was coming from.

"It doesn't look good," Mr Clark said. "But it's done for a very good reason. It's a quick fix - a well-recognised fix."

The tape weather-proofed overnight maintenance work, shielding it from blasts of wind and water during flights. And the tape "really, really sticks", Mr Clark said.

Aviation Industry Association chief executive Irene King said no engineer would let a plane out of a hangar with duct tape stuck to its exterior.

"If a plane had duct tape on it, it wouldn't fly," Ms King said. Still, if you have any suspicions, let your airline crew know - just in case.

"Put your hand up or ding the bells, because if it's normal, the crew will explain it and calm down the passengers," Ms King said.

"And if it's abnormal, the airline will be extremely grateful that it was pointed out ... You've got to be so bloody careful about what you put on the outside of an aircraft."

Pioneer Aero director Paul McSweeny said that everyone in the aircraft maintenance industry used high-speed tape - but airlines needed to be image conscious nowadays.

"Gone are the days when you had planes coming in with paint schemes [faded to] three different colours ... Every man and his dog has got a camera now," Mr McSweeny said.

Air New Zealand spokesman Mark Street said the tape on the Boeing 737 had been used to cover some sealant applied in the area. The sealant had a cure time of several hours, and the tape allowed it to set, Mr Street said.

"Speed tape is used by airlines the world over as an approved product by the aircraft manufacturers and governing authorities like CAA, FAA, etc. It is used for temporary coverage of non-structural elements."

A Boeing spokeswoman said the use of speed tape was an accepted industry practice.