Otago Daily Times by Timothy Brown
http://www.odt.co.nz/node/363673
Online Edition | Thursday, 19 November 2015 | 21:37:19
Fleetwood Mac flight cancelled
A Kiwi Regional Air flight retained for Fleetwood Mac fans has been cancelled - grounding the 10 passengers destined for the Dunedin concert.
The Dunedin to Queenstown service and its return flight were cancelled due to high winds this morning, Kiwi Regional Air (KRA) chief executive Ewan Wilson said.
• It'll soon be here
Five passengers destined for Queenstown and 10 who were taking the return flight - including some planning to attend tonight's Fleetwood Mac concert - have been offered a shuttle service instead, Mr Wilson said.
KRA cut its Dunedin to Queenstown service to Monday and Friday only shortly after the regional airline's launch because of low demand, but retained today and tomorrow's return service because of the concert.
Mr Wilson said tomorrow's service was still planned to run as normal.
Those who did not wish to take the shuttle service were offered refunds, he said.
Wind speeds of 55 knots were forecast this morning, above KRA's operational parameters of 50 knots, and led to the decision to cancel the flights about 7am.
The decision had nothing to do with low passenger numbers, Mr Wilson said.
"Let me absolutely assure you that passenger numbers played no role in my operational team's decision.
"I can show on multiple occasions where we have run flights with considerably less passengers. The decision today was purely based on safety and the high winds.''
About 35,000 people are expected at tonight's concert at Forsyth Barr Stadium with accommodation packed throughout the area.
KRA's service from Dunedin to Nelson ran as scheduled today.