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Source: Reuters -
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Hundreds of New Zealand passengers were stranded in Los Angeles and Hong Kong when Air New Zealand's flights were suspended because of the volcanic ash cloud sweeping over Europe.
Among them is the Governor-General who was on his way to the Polish president's funeral.
The ash cloud from a volcano in Iceland has forced the cancellation of thousands of flights through Europe and has meant significant delays and backlogs at Auckland International Airport.
The Hunt family has just landed an extra 10 days in New Zealand but the stranded tourists are not pleased about their extended stay.
"We've got next to no money left. They won't give us any accommodation any remittance whatsoever. So we've now got to fend for ourselves till next Sunday," says Phill Hunt.
Bob and Jan Newcombe are on their way home to Nelson. Or they would be if they had a home to go to.
"We've rented our home out because we are going on an extended stay," says Jan Newcombe.
How about this for a dilemma? An uncle needs to decide if he should put his 11-year-old nephew on a plane to Frankfurt.
"At the moment Frankfurt (airport) is open. But if he gets to Singapore on his own and it's closed what are they going to do with him?" he says.
These are just a few of the thousands of passengers paralysed by a huge no-fly zone across Europe.
Most of them are toe tapping anxiously in the Emirates queue at Auckland airport.
"I've also got a very pregnant wife and two children so the sooner the better would be great," says Hunt.
Everyone has the same hope but the volcanic ash cloud is causing a scheduling headache.
Getting people half-way home is as good as it gets.
"They've put us on a flight on Tuesday evening as far as Dubai and after that they can't tell us," says Geoff Brown, a stranded tourist.
Air New Zealand flights to Los Angeles and Hong Kong will take off on Friday night. But it is likely they will be grounded at their stopover destinations of LA and Hong Kong. Passengers are unlikely to get through to Heathrow and are advised to make other plans.
Ed Simms of Air New Zealand says the airline has no idea how long the closure of the airspace over the UK will last. He says it could be a matter or hours, or days.
Several hundred people are having a few extra days in New Zealand.
