Passengers on a Dubai to New Zealand flight were left stunned after flying for 13 hours and landing at the same airport where they had taken off.
According to The National News, Emirates flight number EK448 from Dubai to Auckland departed UAE at around 10.30am on Friday. The flight travelled for 13 hours before landing right where it had taken off – in Dubai. The incident has earned the nickname of “the 13 hour flight to nowhere” on social media.
Not the longest flight in the world anymore, but this Dubai-Auckland flight probably feels like it today. With Auckland Airport closed due to flooding, Emirates decided to return to Dubai. Looking about a 13.5 hour flight from Dubai to Dubai. https://t.co/nMvFA5Wa9y pic.twitter.com/kZy29zzlbu— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) January 27, 2023
The flight was unable to land in New Zealand as Auckland airport had to close down because of severe flooding. “Auckland Airport has been assessing the damage to our international terminal and unfortunately determined that no international flights can operate today,” the airport said in a statement, adding that safety of passengers was their top priority.
The Emirates flight was eventually rescheduled and took off from Dubai for a second time on Sunday (January 29). It landed safely in New Zealand on Monday after completing a 16-hour journey – the airline’s longest commercial route.
