Air New Zealand is cancelling some flights and delaying others because of engine problems with its long haul fleet.
An Air New Zealand 787-9 Dreamliner at the Boeing Delivery Center in 2014. Photo: AFP / STEPHEN BRASHEAR / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA
The airline said there have been some problems with the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines on its Boeing 787 Dreamliner planes.
Earlier this week, a flight carrying 268 passengers and 14 crew to Japan had to turn back 20 minutes after take-off.
At the time, the airline said the captain chose to shut down the engine as a precaution. In a second incident on Wednesday, a flight to Argentina was also forced to turn back.
The Transport Accident Investigation Commission is investigating the two incidents.
A crew member works on the Rolls Royce engine of an Air New Zealand Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner in 2014. Photo: AFP / STEPHEN BRASHEAR / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA
Air New Zealand said each day over coming weeks it would have to delay and cancel some flights.
The planes are used on long-haul flights to North America, Asia and Australia.
Air New Zealand said it has been told by Rolls-Royce that some of its engines will need maintenance sooner than expected, but there are no spare engines while the work is done.
The carrier said it was looking for replacement planes.
Thousands Air New Zealand passengers affected have been offered refunds, or put on other flights on a different day.
Other airlines with the same engines have been forced to ground planes because of problems with cracking turbine blades.
Passengers affected will be contacted by the airline.
The scheduled changes will last until Sunday and are as follows (as of 3.25pm):
Thurday, 7 December
- NZ175 - Auckland to Perth - Cancelled
- NZ178 - Perth-Auckland - Cancelled
- NZ31 - Buenos Aires - Auckland - Delayed by 8 hours, 55 minutes
- NZ282 - Auckland - Singapore - Delayed 35 minutes
- NZ289 - Auckland - Shanghai - Delayed 5 hours, 40 Minutes
Friday, 8 December
- NZ97 - Auckland - Osaka - Cancelled
- NZ98 - Osaka - Auckland - Cancelled
- NZ175 - Auckland - Perth - Delayed 3 hours, 30 minutes
- NZ162 - Perth - Christchurch - Delayed 7 hours, 35 minutes
- NZ161 - Christchurch - Perth - Delayed 4 hours, 50 Minutes
- NZ289 - Auckland - Shanghai - Delayed 7 hours, 30 Minutes
- NZ288 - Shanghai - Auckland - Delayed 1 hour, 45 Minutes
- NZ61 - Auckland - Rarotonga - Sydney Delayed 1 hour, 30 Minutes
Saturday, 9 December
- NZ30 - Auckland - Buenos Aires - Delayed 5 hours, 35 minutes
- NZ289 - Auckland - Shanghai - Delayed 7 hours, 30 minutes
- NZ288 - Shanghai - Auckland - Delayed 3 hours
- NZ28 - Auckland - Houston - Cancelled
- NZ29 - Houston - Auckland - Cancelled
Sunday, 10 December
- NZ289 Auckland - Shanghai - Delayed 1 hour, 16 minutes