The Boeing 787 Dreamliner was at the limit of its non-stop range after weather conditions over the US East Coast forced Air New Zealand to slightly reroute.
From the luggage compartment of a 4-year-old aircraft, the carrier had to unload about 40 pieces of passengers' luggage to reduce the overall weight and guarantee a safe flight 14,207 km to Auckland.
Air New Zealand's flagship flight NZ1 took off from New York's John F. Kennedy Airport almost two hours late on Saturday evening and ended up landing at 8:27 am on Monday after a 4:36 pm flight.
Air New Zealand flies to New York three times a week
strong>on a Boeing 787–9 Dreamliner in the cabin layout: Business, Premium–economy and Economy class. Each flight has a limited number of Skycouches in Economy Class, which allow passengers to sit in a row of three seats.
The maximum number of passengers is reduced initially due to weight restrictions on the way back from New York, i.e. some seats in the economy class cabin remain free to increase the range of the aircraft.
Unfavorable weather conditions on Saturday evening forced the Dreamliner to further reduce its capacity. due to additional fuel requirements.
The airline has already apologized to passengers “for the inconvenience”.
Most passengers on the first flight had no idea that their suitcases had been unloaded in New York. York, and they waited over an hour at the baggage carousel in Auckland before it became apparent — the luggage never made it to New Zealand.
Air New Zealand is believed to have launched its Auckland route — New York to take the lead from rival Qantas. The latter has planned Project Sunrise ultra-long-haul non-stop flights that will eventually connect Australia's Sydney and Melbourne with London and New York airports.
However, Qantas now intends to compete with Air New Zealand by launching its own flights to New York from Sydney with a layover in Auckland. Qantas is expected to take this route in June 2023.