New Zealanders stuck in Peru could be on their way home, with the Government announcing today they have arranged a charter flight.
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters said the travellers have faced an “extraordinarily difficult task of getting home” as the number of commercial flights and transit options dwindled.
“On 24 March, we advised New Zealanders overseas that they should shelter safely in place if they could not return to New Zealand commercially. However, New Zealanders in Peru are finding it increasingly difficult to shelter safely in place given the complexities of the situation in-country,” Mr Peters said.
The flight will depart from Lima, with a domestic connection from Cusco in Peru. A departure date has not been set.
There are 83 New Zealanders registered in Peru, 66 in Chile, and 89 in Austria.
New Zealanders were stopped from taking a flight that would've seen them transit through Sydney because of visa issues, but they're not the only kiwis trapped.
Previous attempts to repatriate an estimated 24 Kiwis stuck in Peru failed after visa issues prevented them transiting through Sydney.
Mr Peters maintains “Government-assisted departure flights cannot be relied upon to get home”.
“Our message continues to be that where New Zealanders have the option of travelling commercially to get to New Zealand they should seriously pursue that, or shelter in place.”
Bridget and Tom Prior say they're unsure what the next step is for them.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade is supporting over 22,000 New Zealanders registered as being overseas.
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