An Air New Zealand Boeing 777-300ER flew back to Auckland unpressurized at only 9,000 feet.
An Air New Zealand Boeing 777 is currently being repaired in Auckland after sustaining minor fuselage damage during ground operations at Brisbane Airport on Thursday.
The aircraft, with registration ZK-OKN, was damaged while being pushed back from its gate, resulting in a puncture roughly 7cm wide beneath the captain’s window.
As a precaution, the aircraft has been ferried back to Auckland at a reduced altitude of 9,000 feet and without cabin pressurisation. The scheduled passenger service was cancelled, and a full engineering inspection was carried out upon arrival.
Chief Safety and Risk Officer Nathan McGraw said the airline’s engineers consulted with Boeing to determine the appropriate repair method. The aircraft had already been slated to fly to Singapore for routine maintenance, which will go ahead as planned.
“Once repairs are completed in Auckland, the aircraft will continue to Singapore on Wednesday,” McGraw said. “As the ground time was pre-scheduled, these additional repairs won’t impact our operations or customer travel plans.”
