Cyclone Gabrielle: Air New Zealand cancels long-haul international flights from Auckland on Monday

Air New Zealand has cancelled multiple international flights in preparation for the worst of Cyclone Gabrielle on Monday and Tuesday.

Cyclone Gabrielle has made landfall on northern parts of Aotearoa on Friday morning, but forecasters predict Monday and Tuesday may bring more severe weather for Auckland.

In response, Air New Zealand issued a statement saying five long-haul international arrivals as well as departures from the city on Monday and all Tasman and Pacific Island flights on Monday have been cancelled.

All domestic flights from or through Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga and Taupo are cancelled through to midday Tuesday.

Air New Zealand chief operational integrity and safety officer captain David Morgan said airline had made the cancellations to keep customers, staff and aircraft safe.

“We continue to do everything we can to minimise the impact on our schedule, however in preparation for strong fluctuating crosswinds, for the safety of our staff and customers, international arrivals and departures from tomorrow morning through till midday Tuesday will be extremely limited.

“New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Singapore arrivals are operating as normal but may be required to divert to another New Zealand port.”

Air New Zealand warned customers should be prepared for further flight cancellations as the strength and path of the cyclone remained fluid.

The airline asked customers to refrain from calling its contact centre, and instead contact them via Whatsapp or social media, as they worked to reaccommodate customers.

Air New Zealand said it was exploring use of larger aircraft and increasing capacity to destinations that need it the most once normal operations resumed.