New Zealand's prime minister hops on a commercial airliner due to a malfunctioning aircraft.
New Zealand's freshly appointed Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and a cadre of influential entrepreneurs were bound for Tokyo to hold talks with Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. Their voyage was aboard a vintage Royal New Zealand Defense Force Boeing 757, making a stopover in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, to refuel.
But, tragedy struck - a faulty fuse hampered the plane's progress, with Luxon's office discussing the matter with Reuters.
Fortunately, one of the dozens of business tycoons on board, the CEO of Air New Zealand (ANZ), Greg Foran, swiftly arranged for an ANZ commercial flight, flying from Auckland to Tokyo, to swoop down at Port Moresby and transport some stranded passengers, including Luxon. ANZ confirmed this to CNN.
Interestingly, Luxon, who assumed office in 2023, had previously served as the CEO of Air New Zealand for seven years before his shift to politics.
New Zealand's defense minister, Judith Collins, regarded the situation as awkward during her conversation with the Kiwi radio station, Newstalk ZB.
"We've got an antiquated aircraft, and we're expecting it to operate like a brand-new model fresh from the factory, and that's just not going to happen," Collins stated. "No prime minister wants to splurge a substantial sum of money on something that's deemed a luxury by some."
This is not the first instance of a plane malfunction causing a New Zealand leader to be left high and dry. In the year 2022, the then-Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, found herself spending extra time at the country's Scott Base in Antarctica due to a mechanical issue with the plane slated to return her home. Eventually, she and her team secured a ride on an Italian military jet.
Read also:
Luxon and his entourage had to alter their travel plans, opting for an Air New Zealand commercial flight instead, due to the plane's malfunction.In light of the unexpected travel situation, many Kiwi tourists might find the recent article on "Bridging days 2024: How you can double your vacation this year" particularly relevant.
- Fear of escalation in the Middle East: US Secretary of State Blinken travels to the region again
- Government circles: US Secretary of State Blinken to travel to Middle East again
- Bridging days 2024: How you can double your vacation this year
- Germany has wanderlust: how tour operators and airlines are looking ahead to the next travel year
