ID :
188526
Tue, 06/14/2011 - 14:08
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Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/188526
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Qantas cancels NZ, Tas, SA flights
SYDNEY (AAP) - June 14 - Chaos continues for frustrated travellers after Qantas cancelled all flights to and from New Zealand, Tasmania and Adelaide due to ash from a Chilean volcano.
While Virgin Blue was flying as normal, Qantas and Jetstar flights remained grounded on Tuesday, leaving thousands stranded.
Tiger Airways has also cancelled flights to Tasmania and Adelaide.
Qantas cancelled the entire day's flights to and from New Zealand and Tasmania early on Tuesday and, after initially suspending Adelaide flights, announced at lunchtime they were cancelling them for rest of the day.
Qantas said the plume of ash from Chile's Puyehue volcano which has drifted across the Pacific meant it would not risk travelling on those routes.
"Obviously the worst consequences getting into an aircraft engine is that flight safety is compromised because the engine fails or there is a range of other things that can result," Qantas spokesman Tom Woodward said.
"We have a safety-first approach we don't apologise for but we obviously regret the inconvenience and understand people's frustration."
Qantas customers were left even more frustrated at Melbourne and Adelaide airports as Virgin Blue passengers checked in and joined their flights.
Air New Zealand is also continuing to operate as normal with planes flying at a lower altitude.
Disgruntled Qantas passenger Julie Taylor said she was furious about not knowing anything about her cancelled flight from Adelaide to Melbourne.
"It absolutely ridiculous, they spend all the booking time trying to get your contact information and then they don't tell you anything," she told AAP at Adelaide Airport.
"Everything I know so far I have heard from word of mouth and on the news."
Virgin recommenced flights into all affected airports on Monday.
"We have got our own volcanic ash management team which is a team of experts in everything from engineering to navigation and a Bureau of Meteorology person in-house," Virgin spokesman Colin Lippiatt said.
"We would not be operating if we did not believe it was completely safe."
He said Virgin was flying under or around the debris to avoid any chance it would affect the planes.
Peter Gibson from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority said it was up to individual airlines to decide how to deal with the volcanic ash and he was not surprised there were different opinions on the best option.
More than 70,000 passengers have been affected since airlines began cancelling flights on Sunday.
While Virgin Blue was flying as normal, Qantas and Jetstar flights remained grounded on Tuesday, leaving thousands stranded.
Tiger Airways has also cancelled flights to Tasmania and Adelaide.
Qantas cancelled the entire day's flights to and from New Zealand and Tasmania early on Tuesday and, after initially suspending Adelaide flights, announced at lunchtime they were cancelling them for rest of the day.
Qantas said the plume of ash from Chile's Puyehue volcano which has drifted across the Pacific meant it would not risk travelling on those routes.
"Obviously the worst consequences getting into an aircraft engine is that flight safety is compromised because the engine fails or there is a range of other things that can result," Qantas spokesman Tom Woodward said.
"We have a safety-first approach we don't apologise for but we obviously regret the inconvenience and understand people's frustration."
Qantas customers were left even more frustrated at Melbourne and Adelaide airports as Virgin Blue passengers checked in and joined their flights.
Air New Zealand is also continuing to operate as normal with planes flying at a lower altitude.
Disgruntled Qantas passenger Julie Taylor said she was furious about not knowing anything about her cancelled flight from Adelaide to Melbourne.
"It absolutely ridiculous, they spend all the booking time trying to get your contact information and then they don't tell you anything," she told AAP at Adelaide Airport.
"Everything I know so far I have heard from word of mouth and on the news."
Virgin recommenced flights into all affected airports on Monday.
"We have got our own volcanic ash management team which is a team of experts in everything from engineering to navigation and a Bureau of Meteorology person in-house," Virgin spokesman Colin Lippiatt said.
"We would not be operating if we did not believe it was completely safe."
He said Virgin was flying under or around the debris to avoid any chance it would affect the planes.
Peter Gibson from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority said it was up to individual airlines to decide how to deal with the volcanic ash and he was not surprised there were different opinions on the best option.
More than 70,000 passengers have been affected since airlines began cancelling flights on Sunday.
