DUBAI – In a dramatic turn of events, Passengers on an Emirates flight were left mid-air for as many as 13 hours on Friday, without landing at their destination.
The incident pertains to a flight which departed from Dubai for Auckland, but came back to Dubai after staying in the air for over half a day.
Flight EK 448 returned to Dubai International Airport as Auckland airport was closed after heavy rains; the torrential downpour was so intense that it flooded the terminal and disrupted flight operation.
Consequently, Auckland’s airport was shut for international flights on Friday due to rain which also led to two deaths though authorities carried out the biggest mopping up to clear the flight operation.
Dubai’s flagship carrier also issued an advisory for passengers travelling to Auckland due to rain which disrupted multiple flights including EK449 from Auckland to Dubai which was cancelled as well as EK448 from Dubai to Auckland on January 28 which was delayed by four hours.
The airline stated that operations for flight EK449 from Auckland to Dubai on January 29 and 30 are unaffected and are planned to operate according to schedule.
