Pilots’ dispute leaves Air New Zealand passengers stranded for 14 hours

San Francisco: An Air New Zealand flight from San Francisco to Auckland was delayed by more than 14 hours after a dispute involving two pilots forced the airline to change the flight crew and bring in a replacement pilot.

The incident occurred while the two pilots were off duty during a stopover in San Francisco, according to the airline, which has opened an internal investigation into what happened.

Flight NZ7 was unable to depart as scheduled because the replacement pilot first had to complete the mandatory rest period required under aviation safety rules before taking control of the aircraft.

Passengers were left waiting for hours before the flight was eventually cleared to depart, more than 14 hours after its scheduled departure time.

Air New Zealand stressed that the incident did not take place on board the aircraft.

The airline has also informed New Zealand’s Civil Aviation Authority, while its investigation continues to establish the full circumstances surrounding the dispute and determine what action may be taken against those involved.