Another Air New Zealand flight turns around due to engine issues

A second Air New Zealand flight has been forced to turn around this week as a precaution over engine issues. NZ81 from Auckland to Hong Kong was two-and-a-half hours into its flight on Thursday when the pilots had to return back to NZ due to the “anti-ice function” in one of the engines. A spokesperson said the engine of the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner needed “to be checked by our maintenance team and doing so in Auckland rather than Hong Kong will ensure the aircraft can return to service much faster”. “This did not present a safety risk to passengers on board.” Customers would be put on the next available service and the airline “thanked them for their patience and understanding”. It follows another Air NZ flight turnaround earlier this week. NZ289 took off from Auckland for Shanghai on Monday night, but just after the plane reached the Solomon Islands, it turned back towards New Zealand, landing back in Tāmaki Makaurau just after 8.30am on Tuesday, meaning passengers endured a nine-hour flight to nowhere.<br/>