Air NZ blames inaccurate data for turbulent launch of New York flights

A database that provided faulty predictions on headwinds is being blamed for the bumpy start to Air New Zealand's flagship service to and from New York. The airline blamed extreme weather for disruption to a non-stop flight from New York to Auckland on Sunday. Fifteen customers, who were supposed to travel on Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's flight, had to agree to take alternative flights, to lighten the load in the face of unusually strong headwinds on the way. It was not the new route's first hiccup. Sixty-five passengers on the inaugural flight arrived in Auckland last Monday without their bags, while passengers on a flight - departing from New York on Friday - were told they would have to stop over in Fiji so the plane could refuel. The winds eased and the flight was able to bypass Fiji. Air New Zealand chief operational integrity and safety officer David Morgan said the airline had planned for two years in the expectation of a successful launch of its Auckland-JFK airport route. Flight plans to determine payload had been run over the last year and the airline was hopeful "it had the numbers right". However, some factors had arisen such as significantly higher headwinds plus the inability to use Ohakea Air Force base as a backup and the need to fly around cyclones.<br/>