A charter company has been fined $227,500 for failing to ensure the safety of tourists on Whakaari/White Island.
Inflite Charters was one of 13 parties charged by WorkSafe for health and safety breaches in the lead up to the deadly eruption in 2019.
The company changed its plea to guilty on Thursday in the Auckland District Court and was sentenced by Judge Evangelos Thomas.
According to court documents, Inflite Charters did not carry out adequate risk assessments of Whakaari.
"While Inflite did not have any tourists on Whakaari at the time of the eruption on December 9, 2019, the events of that date illustrate the unpredictability of Whakaari and the risk to which Inflite's tourists were exposed when on Whakaari on other occasions," the summary of facts stated.
There were 47 people on the volcano when it erupted. Twenty-three of them were killed with many more seriously injured.
Charges laid relate to the everyday operations of the parties and aren't connected to the rescue and recovery of victims after the eruption.
The remaining defendants continue to deny the charges and will go on trial in July next year.
