Weather conditions have forced a change of plans to fly seven injured fisherman from Antarctica to Christchurch.
The men, suffering burns, will now arrive in Christchurch on Friday night, rather than in the morning as originally planned.
Poor weather meant a USAF C17 Globemaster could not fly from Christchurch and instead a Hercules, already stationed at the US Antarctic base McMurdo Station will leave around midday, the Rescue Coordination Centre of New Zealand said.
Three of the crew - two Vietnamese and one Indonesian - are seriously injured with second and third degree burns.
The seven fishermen were badly burnt in a fire that swept through their Korean fishing boat Jeong Woo 2 in the Southern Ocean early on Wednesday.
Three Vietnamese sailors are missing, presumed dead, following the fire in the accommodation block.
A total of 37 men were rescued from the ship and the seven injured fisherman were taken to McMurdo by an American ship.
NZN