Air New Zealand cargo flight makes emergency landing in Hong Kong but crew members stuck on board due to local Covid-19 policy
- Flight NZ1082 left Christchurch for Guangzhou but was forced to divert to Hong Kong when the windscreen crack appeared
- Pilots Association chief Andrew Ridling calls the situation the crew members faced ‘challenging’
The Boeing 787 plane left Christchurch for Guangzhou on Wednesday but was diverted to Hong Kong after the crack appeared, according to Air New Zealand chief operational integrity and safety officer David Morgan.
Due to the four layers of aircraft windscreen, there was no risk to the aircraft or anyone on board, he added.
New Zealand Air Line Pilots Association president Andrew Ridling called the situation the crew members aboard flight NZ1082 faced on Thursday “challenging” and said the employees remained on board because they had not completed the Covid-19 testing required to enter Hong Kong.
“It is concerning in that the crew had no ability to rest in Hong Kong after an already arduous 12-hour duty. They were not able to enter the country,” he said, adding that New Zealand pilots were on a strict Covid-19 testing cycle monitored by the country’s health department.
The union, which represents 850 pilots, said that over the past two years none of its members had contracted Covid-19.
According to Hong Kong regulations, all non-local passenger flight crew members must test negative within 48 hours before leaving for Hong Kong and show proof, as well as a letter of certification, issued by the airline to the Department of Health when they arrive.