With a fault in the national radar system grounding planes around the country this afternoon, many Nelson passengers are left waiting and uncertain in the airport.
Sue Leov was boarding her Air New Zealand flight to Auckland at around 3pm when the announcement was made.
“We’d got on the plane and had the safety announcement and everything. We were revving up about to take off when the flight crew got the message. They stopped and told us all to get off.”
Sue says she thought the grounding was just local until her daughter sent her a text message telling her it was a national issue.
“I’m hoping they sort it out because I’ve got a connecting flight to Phuket later on tonight, it’s a bit nerve racking.”
Sue says some of the other flights have been cancelled on the airport’s flight board but an announcement had been made that her flight may board soon.
Airways New Zealand, who operate the radar system, say limited flights will resume shortly and full service is set to resume by 4.30pm
In a release made today they say “at no point was the safety of any airport operations compromised.”
