Nearly 30 years after an Air New Zealand jet slammed into Mt Erebus in Antarctica, killing all 257 on board, the airline has apologised to families of the dead this morning.

The Air New Zealand DC-10 was on a sightseeing flight when it hit the mountain November 28, 1979. The airline said today's apology was to take care of some of the "many of the gaps and failings that occurred in the days, months and years after November 28, 1979".