Emergency crews at Queenstown Airport have been working nonstop overnight to clear the runway after it became inundated with heavy snow last night.
Six flights have been cancelled today as wild weather conditions from the Antarctic blast makes its way up the country today.
Queenstown Airport general manager of operations, Michael Clay, told 1 NEWS that winter has "arrived with a vengeance" in the Otago tourist town.
“Friday, we got snow - it’s probably the most snow we’ve had in several years down at the airfield,” he said.
Clay said the airport's emergency crew have been operating snow moving equipment since last night after the airfield received around 20 centimetres of snow yesterday.
“[The crews] started working about 10 'o'clock last night so they’ve been working right through the night and the key is to not let snow build up too much so it becomes unmanageable.
“Multiple vehicles with a snow plough on the front … can clear 200,000 square metres of runway per hour - that’s been out all night.”
Clay was optimistic, however, saying, “Things are looking good. I think the weather will pass and we’re all good to go.”
He said the airfield gets heavy snow just two or three times a year.
“This is probably the biggest dump that we’ve had in the last four, five years.”
For more information on flight arrivals, departures and cancellations from Queenstown Airport, click here.
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