Airline to fly Tongan brass band to Auckland

The bus was removed from the crash site today. Photo / Supplied

Members of a Tongan band involved in a tragic bus crash in Gisborne have been offered free flights to Auckland.

Air New Zealand will fly the Mailefihi Siu'ilikutapu College Brass Band to Auckland tomorrow.

It follows the Christmas Eve crash that killed Sione Taumalolo, 11 and Talita Moimoi Fifita, 33.

Gisborne woman Kristina Williams who set up a Givealittle page to help raise funds for the group, said the members were supporting each other the best they could.

They had been overwhelmed by the support by the local Tongan and Pacific communities, as well as the Gisborne and wider New Zealand community.

"It's just humbling,'' Williams said.

"[Air NZ] have been amazing. The acting CEO gave me a call directly and said: 'What can we do to help?'

"I put him in contact with someone from the Tongan community and she rang me back saying that Air New Zealand is paying for them all to get out of Gisborne to get their connecting flight.

"The generosity is just amazing."

The group will travel from Gisborne to Auckland tomorrow before catching a connecting flight to Tonga.

A number of people remain in hospital.

Williams said local businesses, including The Warehouse, Pak'nSave and smaller supermarkets or stores, had provided food and vouchers to the group.

One store had been providing fresh vegetables for the group every day as they did not have a fridge where they were staying.

Other members of the band were being hosted by local families.

A spokeswoman for Air NZ confirmed the airline was helping the group.

"We sympathise with those affected by this tragedy and have been liaising with the Ministry of Pacific Peoples to offer our support.

"We have some capacity available from Gisborne to Auckland over the next couple of days as most passenger demand at this time is in the opposite direction.

"We are continuing to liaise directly with the ministry regarding the group's domestic and international travel requirements.''

Meanwhile, the bus involved in the crash has been recovered from the site, on Wairoa Rd, and the road reopened this morning.

Police continued to urge motorists to drive carefully over the holiday period.