An Air New Zealand flight to China was disrupted on Monday, with the plane forced to turn back just over a quarter of the way through the journey as a “proactive safety measure”.
Air New Zealand has launched its longest direct flight from Auckland, New Zealand, to New York in the United States.
After a two-year COVID delay, more than 250 passengers joined the inaugural flight.
Flight NZ289 left Auckland airport about 10:30pm on Monday bound for Shanghai, but the aircraft was soon required to turn back as “proactive safety measure”.
According to Air New Zealand Chief Operating Officer Alex Marren, one of the plane’s engines was using more oil than usual.
The plane returned to New Zealand early on Tuesday morning. Picture: Hagen Hopkins / Getty Images
“The decision was made to return to Auckland so the aircraft could be checked by our engineering team here to expedite repair,” he said in a statement.
“The aircraft arrived in Auckland at 8:36am on 2 July and customers have been accommodated on the next available service.
“We’d like to thank customers for their patience and understanding while our teams worked through the rebooking process.”
Flight Radar 24 showed the plane had just crossed over the Solomon Islands in the Pacific before it turned around and headed back to Auckland.
The flight appeared to make a u-turn just after crossing over the Solomon Islands. Picture: FlightRadar24
It is understood the aircraft will now undergo a service.
The incident comes just weeks after a passenger was injured on an Air New Zealand flight to Queenstown.
The person was reportedly scalded by hot coffee during a cabin service when the plane encountered some clear-air turbulence.