All Interislander passenger ferries due to sail on Sunday have been cancelled after several crew members tested positive for Covid-19.
Interislander executive general manager Walter Rushbrook told 1News: "The number of positive cases in our team has now got to a point it is affecting our ability to carry passengers, and where we can’t achieve minimum crewing levels, we will need to cancel sailings."
Rushbrook said freight trips will still operate "in order to keep the crucial supply chain moving".
He said a minimum number of staff are needed to operate a ferry safely.
"To date we have been able to minimise impacts to our operation through staff taking on extra shifts and moving people between ships to fill crewing gaps.
"However, safety requirements and marine regulations mean ships require a minimum number of specialised staff to operate the vessel safely," Rushbrook said.
He said it is anticipated there will be further disruptions to services beyond Sunday, "ongoing testing may reveal positive Covid results for additional staff in crucial areas".
"An unfortunate reality is that passengers will face disruptions through the Omicron peak. When we contact customers, options will be given to provide a full refund or rebook for a later date," he said.
All customers disrupted by Sunday's cancellations have already been contacted by Interislander.
Rushbrook added the team is "doing everything that can be done in the circumstances to ensure freight supply chains are maintained and we keep people moving safely across Cook Strait."
He said the Valentine, a freight ship leased by Kiwirail to alleviate pressure on the critical ferry service, is part way through a maintenance layover, but, "we are looking at options to finish this work early and bring it back into service as soon as possible."
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