Bradford said he was due in Christchurch to give an 11am keynote address to 1100 delegates, for which he had been preparing for three months.<\/p>\n
Air NZ rescheduled him on a flight at 11.55am, which he took, but he missed his presentation.<\/p>\n
It was the second time in two weeks one of his flights had been cancelled.<\/p>\n
On November 17, Bradford\u2019s evening flight from Auckland to Tauranga was cancelled.<\/p>\n
![\"Volcanic](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/BQ7HC5TFWBCEXAWYA2TUE6GMSY.jpg\")
\nVolcanic activity on Whakaari – White Island. Photo \/ Geonet<\/p>\n
His flight was one of eight to or from Tauranga Airport that were cancelled<\/a> that day or the following morning due to windblown ash.<\/p>\n Air Chathams services at Whakat\u0101ne Airport were also impacted by the ash warning, RNZ reported.<\/p>\n Bradford said Air NZ rescheduled him for a flight 24 hours later.<\/p>\n He had a clinic the next day, however, so he shared a hired car with another traveller to get back to Tauranga more quickly.<\/p>\n Bradford said there needs to be transparency and explanations as to why flights are being cancelled, and earlier warnings would also help.<\/p>\n \u201cInstead of 9pm the night before, when I can\u2019t do anything, if it looks like White Island is a problem and Air NZ know throughout the day, tell me so I can organise travel arrangements differently.<\/p>\n \u201cStart having that conversation much earlier,\u201d Bradford said.<\/p>\n Tauranga Airport manager Ray Dumble said volcanic ash can travel a considerable distance once expelled into the atmosphere.<\/p>\n Wind could blow it as far as Tauranga or Rotorua in some conditions.<\/p>\n \u201cWith safety as our priority, flights needed to be cancelled. Tauranga Airport has received no complaints in regard to ash-disrupted flights.\u201d<\/p>\n Air NZ chief safety and risk officer Nathan McGraw said 38 flights were cancelled during November because of volcanic ash.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen flights are disrupted, we always aim to give customers as much notice as possible. Unfortunately, the movement of volcanic ash is not always predictable, and conditions can change quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n McGraw said if wind blows ash into a flight path, it becomes unsafe to operate as it can affect visibility and potentially impact the aircraft.<\/p>\n \u201cForecasts can change throughout the day depending on wind direction and new activity, which affects how much warning we can provide.\u201d<\/p>\n The proactive cancellation decision on Monday night was based on predicted wind patterns for Tuesday.<\/p>\n \u201cWe understand how frustrating cancellations are, and we don\u2019t take the decision to cancel or disrupt services lightly,\u201d McGraw said.<\/p>\n Where the airline could give an earlier warning, it would.<\/p>\n \u201cHowever, safety will always be at the forefront of our decision-making.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/LGWERHYQZ5AYNDBPCNPK4ITGAM.jpg\")
\nFlight cancellations on the departure board at Tauranga Airport on Monday, November 24. Photo \/ Luke Bradford<\/p>\n