NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather forecasts

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
    • The Great NZ Road Trip
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
    • Cooking the Books
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • What the Actual
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

Kiwis' travel plans upset by volcanic eruption

Herald online
16 Apr, 2010 05:07 AM5 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Have your travel plans been disrupted?
Email the Herald Newsdesk

A delegation of New Zealanders to the London Book Fair next week have been scattered and stranded all over the globe with volcanic ash continuing to disrupt flights across Europe.

All airports in Britain were shut down and others in France, the Netherlands, Nordic countries and others closed in an unprecedented, massive no-fly zone imposed after a volcanic eruption in Iceland.

Already 1500 Air New Zealand passengers have been affected, with one flight diverted to Frankfurt and another stuck in Los Angeles. Flights out of London have been cancelled.

A major travel agency, House of Travel, says thousands in New Zealand will be affected. Is it expected that internationally up to one million people will have their schedules disrupted.

One international niche particularly hit is the world of publishers and booksellers: the London Book Fair, starting next week, was to attract delegations from around the world, this year based on a South African theme.

From New Zealand, two from publishers Bookreps are stuck in Los Angeles; another is in the South of France crossing her fingers she can get away; a Waikato bookshop owner is doubting whether he will get to even leave the country; a HarperCollins representative has made it into London already on an earlier flight but may find the fair depleted; and industry members expect there may be others stuck in Hong Kong.

"It's chaos," said Hamish Wright, from Cambridge's Wrights Bookshop. "It's a complete state of flux at the moment. Who knows whether I'm getting there."

Mr Wright is meant to leave Sunday night from Auckland - but the volcanic cloud may not be cleared by then, and even if it is, the backlog of flights would mean continuing disruptions for days.

Many in the industry left last night on flights to London via Hong Kong and Los Angeles, stop over points where their Air New Zealand planes are still stranded and may have to turn back, Mr Wright said.

Susan Holmes and Jennie Brockie, from Bookrep, are two of the New Zealand delegates stuck in Los Angeles. A spokesman for the company, Mike Hill, said the pair had organised to spend two nights in Los Angeles hoping the situation would clear up.

"They're being philosophical about it and playing it by ear," Mr Hill said.

"It's thrown the whole book fair into disarray."

Celebrity cookbook author Annabel Langbein, meanwhile, is in Cannes, still hopeful her weekend flight to London may get off the ground. She has been attending a television festival this week, where other New Zealanders are also stuck.

Brian Holland told nzherald.co.nz at 2am local time that Kiwis, upon learning their flights were cancelled, just took to the bar. Although those left in the French Riviera were busy merry-making, one of Mr Holland's colleagues had left early for London so she could be back in New Zealand in time for her child's birthday party - and was now stuck in a Wembley hotel.

Ms Langbein's assistant, Belinda Storey, said the company's stand at the fair would be pointless without Langbein.

But with delegations from around the world needing to get past the ash cloud to fly into the book fair, it will not just be Annabel Langbein Media's stand that seems empty.

Tony Fisk, of HarperCollins, may face a severely depleted fair when he shows up. He flew out last week and has made it to London already, a company spokesman said.

Meanwhile, New Zealand rugby league player Robbie Paul - now playing for Leigh Centurions in Britain - has had his plans to play in the south of France thrown into disarray.

The team members have been put on a 24-hour, 974-mile coach trip from hell to reach the match.

"A 24-hour journey?," was Paul's response. "I can fly back to New Zealand in that time."

"We were meant to have a chilled evening, then train," he told the Sun newspaper in London. "It's a real pain in the butt."

Airports could remain closed into the weekend and intermittent disruptions continue for weeks or months depending on where the weather carries the ash.

Air New Zealand international group general manager Ed Sims said travellers faced "a very uncertain situation", and customers heading to Britain were urged to defer their plans and not go on their flights. The airline is accommodating stranded passengers in hotels.

Air New Zealand was expecting to be updated on the situation about 6pm NZT.

Passengers should monitor the situation on the airline's website, call 0800 737 000, or check with their travel agent.

In Christchurch, a London-bound Singapore Airlines plane left this morning for Singapore. An Emirates flight to London via Sydney, Bangkok and Dubai left this afternoon.

Flights scheduled to land in Britain continued to leave Auckland International Airport last night and this morning.

An airport spokesman said airlines were trying to get their planes as close to their destinations as possible before grounding them.

A 9am Korean Air flight would at least get to its stopover point, Seoul, the spokesman said.

Discover more

New Zealand

Volcanic ash throws travel plans into disarray

16 Apr 02:58 AM
Opinion

<i>Kerre Woodham:</i> Grounded in Paris

17 Apr 04:00 PM
Travel

Philippines volcano tourism highlights shaky ground

13 Jan 09:04 PM
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

New Zealand

$12m Lotto jackpot not struck, rolls over to $15m

14 May 10:17 AM
Property

Landlord threw up when inspecting rental ruined by three cats trapped inside

14 May 08:00 AM
New Zealand|crime

‘I’m worried about my unborn child’: Victim speaks out as sexual predator put back behind bars

14 May 07:00 AM

Connected workers are safer workers 

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

$12m Lotto jackpot not struck, rolls over to $15m

$12m Lotto jackpot not struck, rolls over to $15m

14 May 10:17 AM

Time to check your numbers.

Landlord threw up when inspecting rental ruined by three cats trapped inside

Landlord threw up when inspecting rental ruined by three cats trapped inside

14 May 08:00 AM
‘I’m worried about my unborn child’: Victim speaks out as sexual predator put back behind bars

‘I’m worried about my unborn child’: Victim speaks out as sexual predator put back behind bars

14 May 07:00 AM
'Maximum penalty': Te Pāti Māori fires back as co-leaders face three-week suspension

'Maximum penalty': Te Pāti Māori fires back as co-leaders face three-week suspension

14 May 06:55 AM
The Hire A Hubby hero turning handyman stereotypes on their head
sponsored

The Hire A Hubby hero turning handyman stereotypes on their head

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • What the Actual
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven CarGuide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP