A Nelson woman banned from flying with Air New Zealand has taken the airline to the High Court, arguing it banned her based on lies from its staff.
Air New Zealand says the woman is an abusive bully but Nelson lawyer Anjela Sharma is heading to the High Court to sue.
The airline banned her for a year in July, saying she's an unruly passenger who regularly abuses its staff.
"If Air New Zealand can't stop people travelling who are bullying and intimidating staff, what do they do in those situations?" said Air New Zealand's lawyer Simon Ladd.
Sharma says the allegations were invented to justify banning her over a recent disagreement.
"Their evidence is a string of lies. This is a dangerous airline, because it will take information that isn't true, it will make it up, and it will hold it against you," she told Newshub.
Air New Zealand formally warned Sharma for using a Koru Lounge in Nelson when it says she wasn't entitled to.
She says its staff let her in when she pointed out she was flying business class on the flight she was due to board when she landed in Auckland.
Along with the warning, the airline put her on a watch list which blocked her from checking in online.
After repeatedly trying to challenge the airlines actions, she was ultimately banned, and had several booked flights cancelled.
"Air New Zealand has no obligation to carry Ms Sharma in the future or no legal obligation to carry anyone," said Ladd.
The airline didn't respond to a request for an interview, and it refused to say how many people it has banned, or put on its watch list.
