Air New Zealand Boeing 787 Diverts to Tonga to drop off an engineer

Travelers bound for the Cook Islands found themselves heading for Tonga on Wednesday 21st. Air New Zealand needed to transport an engineer to assist in a technical issue with another of the airline's aircraft.

Air New Zealand had two options when deciding on sending an engineer to assist in the stranded plane, operate a 'ghost flight' (an aircraft with no paying passengers onboard) or divert another flight heading in a similar direction. The airline decided to divert the Rarotonga-bound flight as it would cause the least disruption.

Tonga's Fuaʻamotu International Airport, located on its main island of Tongatapu, welcomed the second Boeing 787 Dreamliner to drop off essential supplies (including the engineer).