After flying for more than 13 hours, passengers on an Emirates flight bound for Auckland, New Zealand, landed at the same Dubai airport from which they departed.
Passengers boarded flight EK448 in Dubai on Friday, Jan. 27 around 10:30 a.m. local time, reported Fox Business. However, the pilot turned the plane around almost halfway through the 9,000-mile trip and landed back in Dubai just after midnight on Saturday, Jan. 28.
The unusual situation occurred as a result of severe flooding at Auckland Airport, according to the outlet. Videos circulating on social media showed passengers wading through water inside the terminal.
Did you know the Auckland airport is the only airport in the world to have an immersive underwater experience in the terminal?
Brilliant architecture! pic.twitter.com/2weSzlMSQd
— STØNΞ | Roo Troop (@MorganStoneee) January 27, 2023
Authorities declared a state of emergency in New Zealand after torrential rainfall caused flooding that has killed at least four people since Friday, BBC reported. The flooding is the worst Auckland has seen in 100 years.
Airport authorities announced the closure of international flights on Saturday afternoon. “Auckland Airport has been assessing the damage to our international terminal and unfortunately determined that no international flights can operate today,” the airport said in a Jan. 28 statement on Twitter. “We know this is extremely frustrating but the safety of passengers is our top priority.”
Auckland Airport has been assessing the damage to our international terminal and unfortunately determined that no international flights can operate today. We know this is extremely frustrating but the safety of passengers is our top priority.
— Auckland Airport (@AKL_Airport) January 28, 2023
The airport also advised passengers to check with their airlines about flights, as “schedules may be disrupted for several days.” International flights to Auckland did not resume until Sunday morning.
“We regret the inconvenience caused to customers. Emirates will continue to monitor the situation in Auckland and issue updates where required,” Emirates said in a statement to Fox Business.
Flight EK448 was rescheduled to land in Auckland on Sunday afternoon local time.