An Air New Zealand flight from Christchurch made an emergency landing in Sydney on Friday morning due to a reported technical issue, The Daily Mail and Stuff report.
Flight NZ221, operated by an Airbus A320, experienced a hydraulic failure mid-flight, according to The Daily Mail. Nathan McGraw, Air New Zealand’s chief safety and risk officer, told Stuff that the aircraft had reported a technical issue while in the air.
Emergency services met the plane upon arrival as a precaution. McGraw confirmed to Stuff that the aircraft landed safely and that the airline’s engineering team would conduct inspections to ensure it was safe to return to service.
The plane touched down just after 8.15am. Flightradar24 data shows the aircraft was scheduled to continue to Queenstown, but that flight has been cancelled.
An unnamed passenger told The Daily Mail that the plane remained on the tarmac for about an hour, describing the scene with fire trucks and flashing lights as unsettling but noting that passengers remained patient.