By 3 News online staff
All of Air New Zealand’s Eagle Air fleet have been grounded after small hairline cracks were found on the tail area of an aircraft.
Eighteen Beechcraft 1900D planes, which have a capacity of 19 passengers and operate on regional routes, are currently being inspected by the airline's engineers.
The grounding follows the discovery of cracks on one of the planes during a general maintenance check.
Cracks have been found on four other planes since the grounding.
Eagle Air is a subsidiary of Air New Zealand which operates the planes.
General Manager Carrie Hurihanganui says and says the grounding is a precautionary measure.
“We apologise to customers for the inevitable inconvenience caused by undertaking a full check of our fleet.
Ms Hurihanganui says alternative arrangements would be made for the approximately 800 affected customers.
"The safety of our customers, our staff and our aircraft is paramount and non-negotiable for the airline,” she says.
3 News