An international flight has been forced to make an emergency landing in Queensland.
Air New Zealand flight ANZ81 from Auckland to Hong Kong diverted its course almost four hours into its flight, turning sharply near Rockhampton and entering a new course for Brisbane Airport.
The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner flight left Auckland about 10.30am local time and was scheduled to land in Hong Kong about 3pm local time.
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The flight was expected to dump fuel before its emergency landing to reduce the aircraft’s weight to below its maximum landing weight. This helps to avoid damage to the aircraft during landing.
Brisbane Airport has confirmed a medical emergency was the reason for the sudden landing, with the flight arriving in Brisbane just before 1pm.
Air New Zealand confirmed the flight departed Brisbane a short time later and is back en route to Hong Kong.
The Air New Zealand flight turned around near Rockhampton and made its way to Brisbane. Credit: Flightradar
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