A Wellington barrister says passengers on a Pacific Blue flight who were forced to stay at Wellington Airport on Sunday night could file false imprisonment damages against the airline.
No aircraft were able to land at Christchurch on Sunday night because of heavy snowfalls on the runway.
The Pacific Blue flight from Brisbane, with 157 passengers on board, was diverted to Wellington, arriving at about 12.30am on Monday.
Passengers were unable to go through customs following a decision by the airline to keep them at the airport, and ended up having to sleep on the terminal floor.
Pacific Blue has offered free travel on an equivalent flight as compensation but Hugh Rennie, QC, says passengers could be eligible for $2500 to $5000, because, if the reports are correct, the situation equates to false imprisonment.
The airline says it deeply regrets the situation, explaining that it kept passengers at the airport because it hoped to get them onto another flight to Christchurch.
It says that, in hindsight, it could have dealt with the problem better.
