The return was a proactive safety measure, Air NZ chief operating officer Alex Marren said.
“NZ289 from Auckland to Shanghai returned to Auckland this morning as a proactive safety measure due to one of the aircraft’s engines using more oil than usual,” he told the Herald.
“The decision was made to return to Auckland so the aircraft could be checked by our engineering team here to expedite repair.”
Marren thanked customers for their patience and understanding, and said they would be accommodated on the next available service.
Many factors dictate whether a flight continues its route, diverts to another airport nearby or returns to its departure airport. When it comes to engineering issues, airlines often try to direct their planes to airports with the resources required to make efficient repairs.
The daily flight typically departs Auckland at 10.40pm and arrives in Shanghai 12 hours and 15 minutes later,
This follows a diversion yesterday by a Qantas Boeing 737-800, which departed Auckland bound for Brisbane but had to return after 3.5 hours due to an engine-related issue.
Like today’s flight, passengers were rescheduled on a flight that departed yesterday.
Boeing has been in the spotlight in recent months and the US Justice Department has announced it will charge the aerospace company with criminal fraud following two fatal crashes.