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A dust storm blankets Sydney - Source: Reuters -
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Flights to Sydney were cancelled on Wednesday morning due to major dust storms over New South Wales.
Flights resumed at 4pm, but about 500 passengers were left stranded by the delays.
An Auckland to Sydney flight at 11am was cancelled, following three earlier flights to Sydney which also had to be turned back.
Three flights from Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch had to return after setting off between 7am and 8am, Air NZ spokesman Mark Street says.
The Christchurch and Auckland flights returned home, while the Wellington flight diverted to Auckland.
Stranded passengers played the waiting game all afternoon until air traffic control in Sydney gave the flights the green light.
"The operations team had to wait for guidance from air traffic control in Sydney about when conditions were expected to improve," Street says.
