Passengers aboard a flight to Samoa have been returned to Auckland after the plane developed engineering issues.
Flight NZ992 departed from Auckland at 3.40pm today and was expected in Apia about 8pm, but returned to Auckland International Airport.
A spokeswoman for the airline said the plane turned back due to an engineering issue.
Customers would be accommodated on alternative services, she said.
A map on Flight Radar 24 showed the flight circling several times off the Coromandel coast before returning to Auckland.
