14 Jan 2009

No plans to send planes to Fiji - NZ govt

2:01 pm on 14 January 2009

The New Zealand Government says there are no plans to send planes to evacuate holidaymakers stranded by storms in Fiji - because people are unable to get to Nadi international airport.

Torrential rain has caused extensive flooding since last Friday.

A spokesperson for Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully says there have been no calls to the New Zealand High Commission for help.

He says most New Zealanders are stranded in resorts or family villages and access to the airport is unlikely to improve for a few days. More bad weather is expected.

However, he says airlines are considering putting on bigger planes to clear the backlog once the situation improves.

Extra flights are already being scheduled for Australian tourists.

Air Pacific has organised an extra flight from Nadi to Sydney on Wednesday and Pacific Blue has scheduled an extra service to Brisbane on Wednesday night.