Queenstown flight struck by lightning

An Air New Zealand flight heading to Queenstown has been turned back after being struck by lightning mid-flight.

Flight NZ613 took off from Auckland a little after 8am on Wednesday on its way to the southern town but only made it about as far as Mount Taranaki before being diverted back to where it had come from.

The airline's chief operational integrity and safety officer Captain David Morgan says the aircraft "encountered a lightning strike en route".

"Given the aircraft’s location and the availability of engineering support and spare aircraft, the decision was made for the flight to divert back to Auckland, where the aircraft landed safely."

He says lightning strikes are not uncommon and pilots train for such a scenario.

"The aircraft is undergoing standard engineering checks, and all customers were transferred to an alternative aircraft, which departed Auckland this morning."

It is one of two south-bound flights to be turned back to their departure destinations during a day of wild weather.

Flight NZ681 between Wellington and Dunedin attempted to land twice before returning to the capital, with reports of severe turbulence causing a number of passengers onboard to vomit.

"There are some challenging weather conditions across New Zealand today, which is having some impact on flights," Captain Morgan says.

"We thank customers for their patience."

Main image (File photo)