Weather hampers Tauranga flights

Poor weather conditions have caused two flights to be diverted away from Tauranga and four flights to be cancelled affecting about 170 passengers.

Air New Zealand communications executive Emma Field said NZ8223 from Auckland to Tauranga and NZ8566 from Wellington to Tauranga were diverted to Hamilton earlier today due to weather conditions in Tauranga.

As a result the return legs, NZ8220 from Tauranga to Auckland and NZ8577 from Tauranga to Wellington, were cancelled, she said. Customers on the two diverted services continued their journey to Tauranga by road.

Weather conditions in Tauranga also caused the cancellation of this afternoon's NZ2709 (Auckland - Tauranga) and the return leg NZ2710.

Flight NZ8568 from Wellington to Tauranga has been delayed due to the weather.

EARLIER: Poor weather has forced two or three Air New Zealand flights to turn back after not being able to land safely in Tauranga.

Tauranga Airport manager Ray Dumble said the current weather meant planes would not be able to land at the moment.

"We've had two or three attempts to get in that didn't get in," he said.

Mr Dumble said he believed the flights had returned to Auckland and said passengers were often offered a bus trip from Auckland to Tauranga if flights were unable to land.

Air New Zealand's website showed the flight from Auckland due to arrive in Tauranga at 3.15pm had been cancelled and the flight from Wellington due to arrive at 4.35pm was delayed.

Mr Dumble said it was not often Tauranga had days like this.

He could not say when the weather was expected to clear.