Prime Minister John Key hopes the air travel disruption in Europe will not affect his trip to the 95th anniversary of the Gallipoli campaign.
Mr Key is due to leave for Turkey on Wednesday on a commercial flight, and says he has received advice that he will be able to make it to Gallipoli.
He says the 95th anniversary of the campaign is significant and a time to honour all New Zealanders who have served in a war as well as those currently on deployment around the world.
Mr Key will also hold meetings with the Turkish government before heading to Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.
Trade Minister Tim Groser and a 90-strong business delegation will accompany him to the Gulf states.
Meanwhile, a Turkish tour operator predicts numbers attending this weekend's ANZAC Day commemorations at Gallipoli will be down by almost half because of travel disruptions caused by the volcanic ash cloud.
TJ Tours' guide TJ Ilhami Gezici said businesses were receiving many cancellations and he expected between 8,000 and 9,000 people at the commemorations rather than the usual 15,000.
