An Air New Zealand Airbus A320neo aircraft diverted to Auckland due to an in-flight engine issue.
The incident occurred on December 1, 2024, involving an Airbus A320-271N, registered as ZK-NHA, operating a scheduled passenger flight NZ249 between Wellington (WLG) and Sydney (SYD).
According to data from FlightRadar24.com, the plane departed Wellington Airport at 2:30 a.m. (UTC) and was scheduled to arrive at Sydney Airport approximately 3 hours and 40 minutes later. However, flight tracking data showed a sharp deviation from the original course shortly after takeoff. About an hour into the flight, the aircraft encountered a technical engine problem, forcing the crew to shut down one of the engines and divert to Auckland (AKL).
“As per Air New Zealand’s standard operating procedures, the engine was shut down, and the aircraft was diverted to Auckland, where it landed safely just after 5:20 p.m. […] The matter will now be investigated. Customers will be rebooked on the next available service,” explained Hugh Pearce, the head of flight operations at Air New Zealand, in a statement to Reuters.
The aircraft landed safely at AKL at 4:37 a.m. (UTC), and subsequent scheduled flights were canceled.
Fortunately, no injuries or further incidents were reported.
The diversion comes amid ongoing engine issues for Air New Zealand. The airline has been dealing with recurring problems related to its Pratt & Whitney GTF (Geared Turbofan) engines, which power its newer Airbus A320neo and A321neo models.
These challenges are expected to significantly impact the airline’s financial performance, and Air New Zealand has already forecast lower earnings for the first half of the 2025 financial year.