An Air New Zealand flight from Auckland to Hong Kong was cancelled yesterday after a bird stowed away in the cockpit and was unable to be found after several hours.
Flight NZ81 to Hong Kong was due to take off from Auckland International Airport at around 10.15am.
Passengers checked in and passed through security screening as usual for boarding at the gate, where they were loaded onto the plane before take-off.
Air NZ chief safety and risk officer Nathan McGraw said a "small, feathered stowaway" was discovered in the flight deck shortly after boarding.
"Our teams spent several hours attempting to safely locate and remove the bird before departure, however despite their best efforts, they were unable to do so," he said in a statement to 1News.
"As a result, the service was cancelled in order for our engineering and maintenance teams to perform a more extensive search."
The decision to cancel the flight was made for the safety of all those onboard.
"We appreciate the patience and understanding shown by our customers during the delay and disruption. The safety of our customers and crew is always our top priority."
SHARE ME