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Is Lulutai new aircraft purchase payments ‘true or false’, MP Tapueluelu says as new information emerges

By
Kalino Latu
-

The Tonga government says it has paid US$6.25 million into two accounts with the Bank of America and the Abu Dhabi  Commercial Bank for the purchase of a new aircraft for Lulutai Airlne.

Lulutai CEO Poasi Tei (L), MP Mateni Tapueluelu (Middle) and Prime Minister Hu’akavameiliku

The concerns about the purchase came after the De Havilland Twin Otter failed to arrive in Tonga, despite a promise  by Lulutai airlines chief executive Poasi Tei that it was on its way.

The government has been accused of continuing to make decisions about Lulutai airlines “in secrecy”, failing to inform Parliament about its plan to buy the aircraft, the Prime Minister’s repeated refusal to answer questions from MPs and his failure to submit any financial statements for the Lulutai airlines to Parliament.

Tongatapu 4 MP Māteni Tapueluelu said the Prime Minister had confirmed in Parliament the government had purchased a new aircraft.

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The MPs questions were made in the wake of a report by Kaniva News in early August that the government was purchasing the Twin Otter aircraft. Our report also said the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs had awarded a tender for the maintenance of the aircraft.

Prime Minister Hu’akavameiliku, who was accused of providing misleading information in Parliament and failing to respond to questions from MPs, regarding the purchase of the aircraft,  finally confirmed the purchase in August.

Hon. Tapueluelu said he immediately asked Hon. Hu’akavameiliku to provide evidence of the purchase. He said the PM submitted a document which appeared to show the purchase was fully paid for.

“The validity of that document of evidence is still being questioned,” Hon. Tapueluelu said.

He said the document showed the payment was made into two different bank accounts.

It provided information which raised question about the validity of the bank accounts and whether they were indeed the correct digital characters and account code used by the banks, Hon. Tapueluelu said.

Kaniva News has seen a copy of what appears to be a letter of proof of purchase of the aircraft. It was sent from what appeared to be a financial controller at the Veiling Aircraft Leasing Ltd to CEO Tei on August 11.

The letter “acknowledged receipt of funds” and listed the details of its bank accounts and invoices thereunder. It included this information:

Invoice reference: VAL-06-2223 dated 5th May 2023.

Amount received: US$2,000,000.

Date credited: 1st June 2023.

Beneficiary name: Veiling Aircraft leasing Ltd.

Bank Name: Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank.

Bank account Number:  AE02003001 1299357920002

The letter also listed the details of the second payment as follows:

Invoice reference: VAL-01-2324 dated 10th August 2023.

Amount received: USD$4, 50,000.

Date credited: 14 August 2023.

Account credited: McAfee & Taff Escrow Account (Acting as Escrow Agent for Veiling Aircraft leasing Ltd).

Bank Name : Bank of America.

Bank Account number: 07160156205

Veiling group has been listed as being founded in 2002 with a mission to offer “innovative and responsive solutions to our aviation partners by engaging, empowering and retaining the best talent to build strong and profitable relationships”.

The company describes itself as focused on key businesses in leasing, sales and remarketing of commercial airliners and executive jets, aircraft asset management and structured finance.

The Veling Group is headquartered in Mauritius, with offices in Dubai and team members in the USA, China, France and Russia.

Hon. Tapueluelu said this was why he criticised the Speaker and the Prime Minister’s move in Parliament to stop the Opposition from debating and responding to the Prime Minister’s written answers to queries about the aircraft purchase raised in his vote of no confidence motions last month. The Prime Minister survived the confidence motion.

Hon. Tapueluelu said if MPs had been allowed to debate the issue before the vote they may have helped clarify the lingering doubts which have been swirling in the community about the purchase of the aircraft.  

Aircraft expert comments

Hon. Tapueluelu’s comments came after Kaniva News contacted some experts in aircraft engineering and sales asking whether they had any knowledge about the aircraft Tonga had purchased.

Some who did not want to be identified, as they did not want to be seen as getting involved in the political side of this deal, said the aircraft was currently in China and had allegedly been grounded since 2018.

They said the five-year period of the aircraft’s inactivity from 2018 to 2023 should have been a concern for Tonga because aircraft parts had certain timeframes which require replacements when they were expired.

An expert said he was surprised after he learnt the money was paid in full while the aircraft was sitting in China.

He said that from his experience the payment should have been deposited part by part in a process in which Tonga should only deposit the last portions of payment when the aircraft arrived in the kingdom or departed China.

It is understood the aircraft was inspected as part of the purchase. However, it is believed the person who inspected the aircraft was sent by the aircraft agent.

“The interest of the agent is to sell the aircraft while at the same time Tonga should have done their own inspection to make sure the aircraft is safe according to New Zealand safety rules and requirements which apply in Tonga,” an expert said.

“Some parts of the aircraft are calendar time, meaning after two or three years they have to be replaced, no matter whether the aircraft is in operation or is being grounded”, the expert claimed.

He said Tonga should have been involved very closely with the inspection process to make sure it did not spend extra money to replace the parts once the aircraft arrived in Tonga.

“Tonga should know about this and should have asked the seller to replace such parts of the aircraft because the aircraft was not a brand new”.

In a letter dated August 14 sent to the Parliament’s Chief Secretary, Tei claimed Veiling and Lulutai Airlines had signed the “Sale and Purchase Agreement”.

He also said the aircraft would arrive in Tonga last month.

The expert said he had information that the aircraft would be dismantled and sent to Tonga by sea through a shipping container.

The expert said if this was true it was not a wise decision as the assembly process would take months.

Kaniva News has contacted Tei for comment this morning. He said he would update the media towards the end of the week.

We asked if he could provide us with a copy of the aircraft’s sale and purchase agreement and what step by step process he took before he paid the money for the aircraft.

We also asked him to tell us when will the aircraft arrive in Tonga.

Tei previously said he would update Kaniva News  after we questioned him about the arrival of the new aircraft, but we did not receive any further information.

Little re-affirms election promise to give some overstayers a chance to legalise their status

By
Philip Cass
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Minister of Immigration Andrew Little, has re-affirmed Labour’s commitment to allowing overstayers who meet the right criteria to apply to have their status legalised.

He said a re-elected Labour Government would pass legislation in its first 100 days to deliver a one-off regularisation programme for overstayers who had been in New Zealand for 10 years or more.

The Minister’s comments follow claims by Tongan  Lawyer Nalesoni Tupou that Labour was targeting Tongans for votes.

Tupou questioned the timing of the announcement of the amnesty policy  in the middle of the election campaign. He asked why Labour did not offer the amnesty while they were in government.

“When the general election will be over, and if the Labour would win, they need to submit a bill to the Parliament to be approved as a law to allow those who are overstayers to apply to make their staying in New Zealand legal,” Tupou said.

“It is a long story as Labour will need to lobby for some other political parties to support their amnesty promise to 10 year plus overstayers. It is unclear whether any political party would support Labour’s amnesty proposed policy.”

In response, a spokesperson for the Minister said: “We want to ensure every survivor of the Dawn Raids era who has never left New Zealand has the opportunity to apply for regularisation.”

“The best way to achieve that is to by passing legislation in Parliament, because this will give people confidence to come forward to apply.

“Labour has been upfront about the timelines on when we can deliver regularisation, which is after the election. The historic Dawn Raids Apology has happened since the last election and this is a new policy that Labour is offering, so it’s appropriate that the next step is voters are given the opportunity to have their say.”

“It is always true that any government needs to have a majority of votes in Parliament to be able to pass any legislation. Other parties’ policies are a matter for them (and the National Party has been clear that they do not support regularisation). What voters can be certainty about is Labour’s policy is to pass legislation in our first 100 days to deliver regularisation.”

During a radio debate organised by RNZ Pacific and the Pacific Media Network, Labour’s Carmel Sepuloni and the Greens’ Teanau Tuiono backed the amnesty.

Sepuloni said the amnesty announcement was not an attempt at baiting voters.

“You have to think about everything that has been expected of immigration New Zealand in the last couple of years and the immense pressure that they have been under,” Sepuloni said.

Green Party Pacific Peoples spokesperson Teanau Tuiano criticised Labour for taking too long.

“Amnesty for overstayers is more than timely. It is late,” she said. 

Both National and ACT have said they would not back an amnesty.

Key issues for Pasifika voters during the debate were health, with half of voters unable to afford dentistry and housing. RNZ said 11 percent of Pacific children lived in damp and mouldy homes, where they are 80 times more likely to develop acute rheumatic fever, which can lead to heart disease and death.

Education was also seen as a major issue, with National’s Fonoti Agnes Loheni claiming the government had failed Pasifika children. She said pass rates were declining and that only 14.5 percent of Pasifika students reach the minimum curriculum for Maths compared to the rest of the population of 41.5 percent.

Crime remained a serious problem, with almost half Pasifika children  likely to live around family violence. Pasifika children were twice as likely to be hospitalised due to assault, neglect and maltreatment.

All parties taking part in the radio debate said they were taking action on climate change.

Statement

In its formal  statement on migration policy, Labour said it was committed to honouring the historic Dawn Raids Apology to Pacific people by backing it up with action.

It said the amnesty would not be limited to any particular group, meaning people from all migrant communities would be able to apply to regularise their visa status.

Labour said it expected between 14,000 and 20,000 people could be eligible, including every victim of the Dawn Raids era who has never left New Zealand.

Successful applicants would have access to more Government services, such as higher education.

Children born in New Zealand to a parent who was an overstayer would have more certain access to work rights, education and other public services.

Voting

Early voting starts on Monday, October 2. People can vote at any voting place in New Zealand.

On election day, Saturday, October 14, all voting places will be open from 9am to 7pm.

Preliminary results will be released from 7pm as soon as the polls close.

There will be a total of 2600 voting places around the country.

For more information

Labour Migration Policy

Election 2023: What you need to know before voting

Minister of Health says ‘no substance’ in claims against PM made by anti-vaxxer doctor

By
Kalino Latu
-

The Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall says there is no substance to the claims made by anti-vaccination campaigner Dr Ate Moala against Prime Minister Chris Hipkins.

New Zealand Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall (L) and Dr Ate Moala.

Dr Moala used an interview with the Tongan Facebook media group Radio Television Tonga International to attack the Prime Minister, accusing him of covering up “the truth” about the side effects of the Covid-19 vaccine.

Dr Moala claimed the Labour government and the Medical Council of New Zealand had forced doctors to lie to the public that the vaccines had no side effects.

Moala claimed that at one stage the government through the Ministry of Health and the Medical Council of New Zealand wrote and prohibited (“tapu”) all doctors from advising the public about the side effects of the vaccines.

She alleged doctors were told to advise the public that the Covid-19 vaccines were safe and they would work just like Panadol tablets.

Moala has links to anti-mandate groups the Freedom and Rights Coalition and New Zealand Doctors Speaking Out with Science (NZDSOS).

She previously protested in anti-government marches against Covid-19 lockdowns organised by the Freedom & Rights Coalition’, which was founded by self-styled Bishop Brian Tamaki.

 In a statement to Kaniva News, the Minister of Health denied Dr Moala’s claims.

“At absolutely no time did the Government, or any of its health agencies, force or encourage health practitioners to lie to the public about vaccination,” Dr Verrall said.

“The vaccination programme has helped saved many lives and helped protect our health system.

“During the global pandemic, the Government, health agencies, and public health providers took a number of steps to help keep New Zealand and New Zealanders safe.

“We thank all New Zealanders, including the Tongan community, for their commitment over the course of the pandemic.”

For more information

Doctor with links to anti-vaccination fringe groups accuses Medical Council and PM of ‘blatant lying’ and covering up Covid 19 vaccine side effects

New aircraft might not arrive this month as planned amid claims Lulutai airlines operating ‘unlawfully and in the darkness’

By
Kalino Latu
-

The Tonga government has been accused of falsifying its budget to hide the investment of millions of pa’anga on Lulutai airlines and the purchase of a new aircraft.  

Prime Minister Hu’akavameiliku. Photo/Screenshot (Radio FM87.5)

 The allegations were part of 46 motions made against the Prime Minister in Parliament earlier this month before the failed vote of no confidence.

Prime Minister Hu’akavameiliku survived the no confidence motion, but has been accused of giving misleading responses to the motions.

The government was accused of hiding  behind the Companies Act to allow Cabinet Ministers to become members of Lulutai’s Board of Directors.  

Prime Minister Hu’akavameiliku was accused of failing in his role as the chairperson of the airline’s board of directors by not responding to Parliamentary letters by people’s MPs asking for financial statements for the years 2020/2021, 2021/2022, 2022/23 and 2023 2024.

The government was accused of breaching the law by failing to submit to Parliament any financial statements for the airline since its inception in 2020.

The purchase of the De Havilland Canada Twin Otter aircraft was confirmed on August 14 when the Prime Minister revealed the news in Parliament after questions from MPs.

Kaniva News carried reports of the purchase earlier this year, along with the news that the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs had awarded a tender for the maintenance of the aircraft.

The Parliamentary complaints included allegations that the government planned during 2022/2023 fiscal year and before the fiscal year 2023/2024 to buy the Twin Otter for US$6.25 million or TP$14.7 million, but the government failed to include this in its annual budget submitted to the parliament.

The government allocated US$2 million or TP$4.4 million in the 2022/2023 fiscal year and the purchase was made during 2022/2023 fiscal year, but it was also not included in the estimate, the motions claimed.

The new aircraft was expected to arrive in Tonga this month, according to a letter to Parliament’s Chief Secretary from Lulutai’s chief executive Poasi Tei seen by Kaniva News.

Lulutai airlines could not be reached for comment. A reliable source said it could take a few more months before the aircraft could be flown to Tonga from China through Australia.

The motions said the lack of response from the Prime Minister after the Opposition requested a copy of Lulutai airlines’ financial statement 2023 / 2024 had breached parliamentary rules and Clause 51 of the Constitution which stipulates that “he shall answer all questions put to him by the Legislative Assembly and report everything in connection with his ministry”.

“The government’s Lulutai airlines operates in the darkness and will still be there until the government legalises it under the government’s Public Enterprises Act and plans for its future must be transparent”, the motions said in Tongan. 

The motions said the government’s registration of the airline under the Companies Act was unlawful because all government’s businesses must be registered under the Public Enterprises Act.

Under the Companies Act the government does not have to provide Lulutai’s financial statements to the public or Parliament.

The motions said this was wrong as the law said the government must be accountable for all public money and must submit financial statements to Parliament every year.

Registering the Lulutai Airlines under the Companies Act without also registering it under the Public Enterprises Act put the government in a position to hide its decision making duty, the motions said in Tongan.

The motions said the presence of the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister Sāmiu Vaipulu, the Minister of Civil Aviation Sevenitini Toumo’ua and the Minister of Finance Tiofilusi Tiueti on the board of directors of Lulutai Airlines constituted a conflict of interest.

If the airline was not registered under the Public Enterprises Act,  it was unlawful for the government to operate the company, the Opposition MPs’ motions said.

The Prime Minister responded in the House and insisted that the set up of the airlines was legal. He said it was a good investment for the people and an opportunity which allowed other partners like Australia and China to assist the service financially. He said Australia did this already. He said the airlines was audited and the result was good which was sent to the AOC.

He said that the money allocated for the aircraft purchase was inserted in the revised budget 2023/ 2024 ended in March, as gift and shares (“me’a’ofa fakangāue mo e ‘inasi”), implying that it was not written in the budget as money for the purchase of the aircraft.

Tributes flow to Tongatapu man allegedly killed by falling glass in shipping container

By
Kaniva Staff
-

Tributes are continuing to flow from grieving family and friends of the Houma man  who allegedly died after sheets of glass fell on him inside a shipping container on Tongatapu last week.

Fekumi ki he Lelei Finau

A video shared to Facebook this afternoon by a person who goes by the name Pita Vuna showed an audio of a man being overheard as saying a container, also captured on the video, was where the victim allegedly died .

The victim was identified as 24-year-old Fekumi Ki he Lelei Finau.

According to the video, it appeared the large sheets of glass crashed on top of Finau inside the container.

It also appeared to show some people were with the deceased trying to unload the glass from the container before the tragedy struck.

Facebook posts earlier showed the family were absolutely devastated by the loss of Mr Finau, who was affectionately known as “Kumi”.

Family members and friends had rallied to support his parents and siblings.

“Kumi was a really great guy, really likeable and heaps of fun to be around”, a commenter wrote in Tongan.

Finau was working as an electrician and his job was useful and convenient to his friends and relatives when they had urgent electrical needs.

“We all thought about what Kumi would have liked us to do. He was always such an enthusiastic electrician and love to help whenever he was contacted”.

“Fakaofa lahi sii sioloto atu heene faigataia”.

Security guard detained after selling cannabis while police lying in wait

By
Kaniva Staff
-

A security guard was arrested on Tuesday night after allegedly selling illicit drugs following a police stake out at a bar in Nuku’alofa

The 33-year-old male bouncer from Ha’ateiho was posted at the entrance to the bar where Police witnessed the exchange of money and drugs before they made their move to arrest.

Found on this person were 147 packs of cannabis (42.10 grams) and cash, a statement said.

He remains remanded awaiting his appearance in court and is charged with possession of illicit drugs.

Tonga Police said it was taking this matter seriously as the nature of this crime is a concern, especially the breach of trust by a security officer, who is employed in a licensed premises that hosts people and youth.

We encourage anyone who may have information about illicit drugs to please come forward or contact Police on phone 740-1660 or 922.

Please help Police keep our families and communities safe from the unwanted harm caused by illicit drugs.

New Auckland train station set to open in 2025 will act as ‘front door’ to city, council says

By
Kaniva Staff
- 
By Felix Walton of RNZ.co.nz and is republished with permission

Auckland Council hopes a new train station by the Sky Tower will breathe life into the city centre.

The uncompleted Te Waihorotiu train station tunnel. Photo: RNZ / Felix Walton

Te Waihorotiu is one of the two new stations due to be completed in 2025 as part of the protracted City Rail Link project.

Auckland Council head of city centre programmes Jenny Larking described Te Waihorotiu as a “front door” to the city.

“After almost a decade of construction, we’re almost reaching the end,” Larking said.

“So now, we’re really focused on creating a wonderful experience outside the station, for people to come through it as a gateway into the city.”

Te Waihorotiu’s exit leads passengers directly onto Victoria Street West, with plans to develop the area into a bustling transport hub with connecting buses.

“The work Auckland Transport will be doing on Wellesley Street will create this wonderful transition between bus and train infrastructure,” Larking said.

Auckland Council head of city centre programmes Jenny Larking

Jenny Larking describes Te Waihorotiu as a “front door” to the city. Photo: RNZ / Felix Walton

Underground, the enormous passenger platform was prepared to serve thousands of commuters.

“[It’s] expected to be New Zealand’s busiest station catering for up to 54,000 passengers per hour as population growth continues,” said Shaun Sutton, Te Waihorotiu’s community manager.

The project was still on track, he said.

“We’re tracking really well, the project is planned to be completed in November 2025, so in just a couple of years.”

The uncompleted Te Waihorotiu train station tunnel. Photo: RNZ / Felix Walton

At the project’s peak, as many as 600 workers were building the station at any given time.

The station’s name had both cultural and historical significance, Sutton said.

“Te Waihorotiu is the river that still runs beneath Queen Street,” he said.

“It’s been buried by the roads but hundreds of years ago it was an open river which was a source of life for the people who lived here.”

The seven skylights that lined the ceiling represented Matariki, he said.

Larking said Auckland Council was prepared for a flurry of activity once the station was finished.

“We’re working with WaterCare, which is getting new infrastructure ready to allow intensification around the station,” she said. “So it’ll be a really exciting phase.”

Te Waihorotiu community manager Shaun Sutton says it is expected to be New Zealand's busiest train station catering for up to 54,000 passengers per hour.

Shaun Sutton says it is expected to be New Zealand’s busiest train station catering for up to 54,000 passengers per hour. Photo: RNZ / Felix Walton

Sutton said several projects were already under way.

“Already we’re seeing countless developments in the area,” he said. “Beginning with the development on top of the station called the Symphony Centre, but that’s just one of dozens.”

Recent events in the city centre had already put foot traffic on the mend, Larking said.

“There is a positive trend for the city centre, pedestrian counts have gone up,” she said.

“Once the station opens, it’ll be a completely different city.”

The escalators at Te Waihorotiu train station.

The escalators at Te Waihorotiu train station. Photo: RNZ / Felix Walton

This is the exact time, day and month of the year you’re most likely to die, according to science 

By
Kaniva Staff
-

By dailymail.co.uk

Some prefer not to dwell on the exact moment we will depart this Earth, others are morbidly curious.

But science has unearthed several distinct patterns around when people tend to die.

Just as you have a ‘body clock’ which helps to dictate when you wake and sleep, it also influences the time of day when you die – with a distinct ‘spike’ in the morning.

Other studies have shown that certain days of the week are far deadlier – and one day of the year in particular sees more deaths than any other.

Some of this is due to factors such as drug overdoses and firearms – but other ‘spikes’ are more difficult to explain.

What time of day are you most likely to die?

Your body clock doesn’t just make you feel hungry and sleepy – it also influences when you die, according to science.

The time people are most likely to die is 11am, according to Harvard Medical School research published in 2012.

Professor Clifford Saper, the lead author of the paper, said: ‘Virtually all physiological processes have a circadian rhythm, meaning that they occur predominantly at certain parts of the day.

‘There’s even a circadian rhythm of death, so that in the general population people tend on average to be most likely to die in the morning hours. Sometime around 11am is the average time.’

But the picture is actually slightly more complex than that.

Saper’s research, which involved 1,200 healthy people aged 65, found that people with a certain genotype (the genetic variants a person carries) have different sleeping patterns – and a different average time of death.

People with the G-G genotype (guanine-guanine) tend to sleep around an hour later, generally speaking, and die at around 6pm instead of the 11am most people die at.

Saper said: ‘There is really a gene that predicts the time of day that you’ll die. Not the date, fortunately, but the time of day,’

What day of the year are you most likely to die?

One day of the year has more deaths than any other (Shutterstock) 

More people die in the cold winter months than any other time of year, according to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

January and December tend to be the deadliest months of the year – but analysis by Professor David Philips of 57 million death certificates between 1979 and 2004 pinpointed one day as the deadliest.

Philips found that New Year’s Day is the deadliest of the year – and the reason isn’t due to celebrations, alcohol or traffic accidents.

‘I died and saw the afterlife, but I was turned away for an unexpected reason’ 

Philips said: ‘This pattern turns up in every natural cause of death, but not for external causes like auto accidents. It’s hard to understand why that would be.’

More recent research highlighted Christmas Day as the deadliest day of the year (when it comes to heart attacks at least), with a significant spike between Christmas and New Year.

Dr Donald Lloyd-Jones, volunteer president of the American Heart Association, said, ‘The holidays are a busy, often stressful, time for most of us. Routines are disrupted; we may tend to eat and drink more and exercise and relax less. 

‘We also may not be listening to our bodies or paying attention to warning signs, thinking it can wait until after the new year. All of these can be contributors to increasing the risk for heart attack at this time of the year.’

What day of the week are you most likely to die?

Analysis of 39 million deaths between 1999 and 2004 found that there is one day of the week where you are most likely to die – Saturday.

Researchers at LiveScience analysed CDC data for all deaths and found a small but significant rise in deaths on Saturdays.

Some of the reasons behind this are fairly simple: deaths from drug overdoses, car accidents and firearms all peak on Saturdays.

More recent research in 2018 found that you are still more likely to die when admitted to a hospital at the weekend.

The research, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, found that, among patients with cardiac arrest, 25.2 percent survived on week days, while 21.9 percent survived on weekends and week nights.

Man hospitalised after being shot by police on West Auckland motorway

By
Kaniva Staff
- 
By RNZ.co.nz and is republished with permission

A man has been hospitalised after being shot by police following an attempted carjacking on a West Auckland motorway.

In a statement, relieving district commander Waitematā Superintendent Shanan Gray said at about 3.20pm police signalled for a vehicle to stop on Te Atatū Road on the Te Atatū Peninsula, but it failed to do so.

Police pursued the vehicle west towards the Lincoln Road off-ramp, he said.

Gray said on the Lincoln Road overbridge, the driver got out of the vehicle with a firearm, and unsuccessfully tried to steal two other vehicles. One of those vehicles has hit the offender, he said.

Armed police were quickly on the scene and the offender then ran towards a truck and climbed in the passenger side of the cab resulting in the truck driver exiting out the driver’s door, he said.

Police then fired at the offender which resulted in him surrendering, Gray said.

The man was taken to hospital with gunshot injuries but they were not thought to be life threatening, he said. Police later told RNZ they took the man to hospital themselves – St John ambulance was notified around 3.38pm but were stood down by police en-route.

Police are considering charges and will notify the Independent Police Conduct Authority “as standard procedure in these situations”.

A scene examination will be carried out.

Police earlier said no-one had been injured.

The off-ramp to Lincoln Road was earlier closed, but it has now reopened.

Auckland Transport says 110 buses are now returning to their normal route.

Air New Zealand launches bag tracker feature

By
Kaniva Staff
-

By rnz.co.nz

Travellers flying with Air New Zealand will be able to track their bags, starting from today.

Air NZ passengers will now have the option of a tracker to help them keep track of the journey their bags are on, alongside their own. Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi

The airline is updating its app to include a tracker that keeps customers informed about the status of their baggage.

The feature has already been widely adopted by several international carriers, including United Airlines and Singapore Airlines.

“We’re always listening to our customers to understand how we can make their journey with us as smooth as possible,” chief customer and sales officer Leanne Geraghty said in a statement.

“We heard from them that being able to track their bags’ location would make their experience even more stress-free, so we quickly began making that customer request a reality.”

Geraghty said Air New Zealand had been testing the programme since April, with 25 percent of domestic customers and 5 percent of international customers having access to the feature during the last six months.

“Since April, over 8000 customers have successfully tracked their checked in baggage in our trial phase with the in-app feature,” she said.

“We’ve had overwhelmingly positive feedback from customers who have tested the feature too.”

She hoped the feature would give passengers peace of mind, allowing them to double-check that their luggage was with them on their flight.

After dropping off their bag, customers would see a “check status” option on their app that would update each time the bag was scanned.

Missing or damaged bags could be reported directly from the app, Geraghty said.

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