On June 19, 2023, a midflight return to Auckland Airport (AKL) by an Air New Zealand flight with a destination of Tokyo International Airport (TYO) had to be made due to windscreen damage.
About 3.5 hours into the trip, Flight NZ99 made a U-turn and proceeded back to Auckland Airport.
The Boeing B787 airplane turned around in the vicinity of Port Vila, Vanuatu, according to FlightRadar24’s recording.
The windscreen’s outer layer sustained damage, according to Air New Zealand’s chief operational integrity and safety officer, David Morgan.
“Windows on aircraft are made up of multiple layers to withstand damage, however, to ensure the safety of our customers and crew it’s part of our standard operating procedure to return to one of our ports to allow our maintenance team to undertake repairs,” Morgan told various media outlets.
The plane with the registration ZK-NZJ is a six-year-old Dreamliner that was handed to Air New Zealand in September 2016, according to information from Flightradar24.
Just after 5:00 local time, the plane landed at AKL Airport.
