Fog gone, but backlog yet to clear

The departure board at Auckland Airport showing cancelled flights due to the fog. Photo / Sarah Ivey

Heavy fog has lifted at Auckland airport allowing regional flights to resume.

Weather conditions disrupted turboprop services yesterday, leaving many passengers stranded overnight.

The problems continued when the fog return this morning, with almost 40 domestic arrivals and departures cancelled and many other flights delayed.

To clear the backlog Air New Zealand transported passengers in shuttle buses to some North Island destinations, including Wanganui, Tauranga and Rotorua.

Although some flights from Auckland are starting to depart, fog is continuing to affect airports in other parts of the country.

Air NZ is adding additional flights where possible and customers affected by cancellations will be booked onto the next available service.

International and domestic jet services have been able to operate.

Customers are advised to check the airline's website for updated information, and passengers on affected flights should call the contact centre on 0800 737 000 to rebook, or contact their travel agent.

The Campeau family from Canada will spend tonight at an airport hotel after fog disrupted the start of their month-long holiday in New Zealand.

Their stopover in San Francisco was delayed causing them to miss their 7.15am flight to Dunedin.

Fog has further delayed their plans and they're now scheduled to fly out tomorrow morning.

"They tried to book us to Dunedin via Wellington or Christchurch but there was nothing. There's no availability,'' Mark Campeau said.

It was a first-time trip to New Zealand for the young children Ella, 2, and Xavier, 4, to meet some of their Kiwi family.

"It's just a bad situation that's out of anybody's control,'' Jackie Campeau said.

More than 200 flights were cancelled or delayed yesterday.

Jetstar flights have been delayed, not cancelled.