Christchurch, New Zealand: An Air New Zealand Airbus A320 operating Flight NZ630 from Queenstown to Auckland made a precautionary diversion to Christchurch Airport on Saturday afternoon after a smell of smoke was detected inside the aircraft cabin, prompting an emergency response on the ground.
The aircraft departed Queenstown at approximately 2:15 p.m. (NZST) and had been scheduled to arrive in Auckland shortly after 4:00 p.m. However, during the flight, the crew reported a smell of smoke in the cabin and elected to divert the aircraft to Christchurch as a precaution.
The aircraft landed safely at Christchurch Airport at around 3:30 p.m., where it was met by Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) vehicles and New Zealand Police in line with standard emergency procedures.
Video footage from the airport showed several fire trucks positioned on the airfield alongside the aircraft, while police vehicles were also present on the tarmac. Before the aircraft proceeded to the terminal, a fire appliance approached the aircraft and appeared to carry out a visual external inspection while it remained on the taxiway.
Following the inspection, the aircraft taxied to the gate, where passengers disembarked normally through the aircraft doors. There was no emergency evacuation, and evacuation slides were not deployed.
Air New Zealand confirmed the diversion in an official statement. Katie Boyer, Air New Zealand’s Chief Operations Officer Ground and Inflight, said, “Flight NZ630 from Queenstown to Auckland was diverted to Christchurch. The aircraft landed safely, and as per standard operating procedures emergency services met the aircraft. Passengers disembarked as normal and we’d like to thank them for their understanding and patience as we work to get them to their destination as quickly as possible.”
The airline added that its engineering team will conduct a detailed assessment of the aircraft to determine the source of the reported smoke odour before the Airbus A320 is returned to service.
There were no reports of injuries to passengers or crew, and authorities have not indicated the presence of any fire onboard. As of the latest update, the cause of the reported smoke smell has not been determined, and Air New Zealand’s engineers are continuing their inspection.
