Airlines already feeling the impact have started delaying flights and increasing fares for flights across the country
At least 50 people were hurt on Monday mostly with minor injuries, after a “technical problem” caused a “strong drop” during a flight from Sydney to Auckland, Latam Airlines told the New Zealand Herald.
Latam Airlines flight LA800, a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, landed at Auckland airport as scheduled on March 1, according to FlightAware. The flight normally stops in Auckland on its way to Santiago, Chile.
A spokesman for the South American airline told the newspaper that there had been a “technical problem” on the flight that affected some crew and passengers, without providing further details.
Hato Hone St John ambulance treated roughly 50 people at the airport, a spokesperson told Reuters. One patient is in a serious condition, and the remainder had suffered mild to moderate injuries, they added.
The NZ Herald quoted a passenger who said she experienced a “quick little drop” during the flight.
Boeing and Latam did not immediately respond to questions from Reuters about the cause and nature of the incident.
Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha
Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha is the Aviation Correspondent at BusinessDay Media Limited, publishers of BusinessDay Newspapers.
She is also the Deputy Editor, BusinessDay Weekender Magazine, the Saturday Weekend edition of BusinessDay.
She holds a BSC in Mass Communication from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Masters degree in Marketing at the University of Lagos.
As the lead writer on the aviation desk, Ifeoma is responsible and in charge of the three weekly aviation and travel pages in BusinessDay and BDSunday. She also overseas and edits all pages of BusinessDay Saturday Weekender.
She has written various investigative, features and news stories in aviation and business related issues and has been severally nominated for award in the category of Aviation Writer of the Year by the Nigeria Media Nite-Out awards; one of the Nigeria’s most prestigious media awards ceremonies.
Ifeoma is a one-time winner of the
prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Award under the 'Aviation Writer of the Year' Category.
She is the 2025 Eloy Award winner under the Print Media Journalist category.
She has undergone several journalism trainings by various prestigious organisations.
Ifeoma is also a fellow of the Female Reporters Leadership Fellowship of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.
