New Zealand-bound plane flies 13 hours only to land back in Dubai after floods close airport

New Zealand bound planes have been turned away after 10 and 13-hour flights following catastrophic flooding in Auckland which caused the airport to close.

New Zealand-bound passengers endured a 13-hour flight to nowhere after the plane they were on was forced to go back to Dubai when Auckland Airport closed due to flooding.

Emirates flight EK448 had to turn around halfway through its journey after torrential rain and flooding in Auckland meant the airport had to close.

According to Sky News, the flight took off from Dubai on Friday just before 11am (local time) and was halfway through the 14,500km journey when it had to circle back to the United Arab Emirates.

Auckland Airport was closed to all international and domestic flights on Friday, with more than 2000 passengers stranded overnight in the terminals.

Videos from the airport posted on social media show people wading through floodwater inside the terminal buildings.

Auckland International Airport pic.twitter.com/tTqwlGa0zh

— Oilinki (@oilinki) January 27, 2023

In a statement on Saturday, Auckland Airport chief executive Carrie Hurihanganui said it had been a “really long and challenging night”.

“Our teams, and those of our airport partners, continue to work around the clock to make sure we can get our domestic and international terminal operations open safely as soon as possible,” she said.

Travellers coming from the US to New Zealand also ended up back where they started when a flight from Dallas Fort Worth to Auckland had to return to Texas after 10 hours in the air.

A state of emergency was declared in Auckland on Friday when the city was hit with a record amount of rain in one day, causing flooding, landslides, and landslips.

Four people have so far died in the storm which caused road closures, power cuts and a train derailment.

Further heavy rain is forecast for this week and Auckland Airport has warned of further flight disruptions.

A cleaner picks up towels from the ground at Auckland Airport after Auckland was hit with a historic amount of torrential rainfall, causing severe flooding. Picture: Getty Images

‘CLIMATE CHANGE IS REAL’: CHRIS HIPKINS

New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has attributed Auckland’s floods to climate change as the death toll rose to four.

As states of emergency were declared for Auckland and the Waitomo District, Mr Hipkins told TVNZ: “Climate change is real, it’s with us, it’s having an impact on our weather, we are seeing more of these extreme weather events, we’re going to have to deal with more of these extreme weather events in the near future and we need to be prepared for that.”

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins talks to residents affected by flooding in Clover Park, Henderson and West Auckland. Picture: New Zealand Herald/Dean Purcell

Houses are seen above landslips in Auckland, New Zealand after the city was hit with a historic amount of torrential rainfall, causing severe flooding which inundated roads and property. Picture: Getty Images

He added: “It’s a 1 in 100 year weather event and we seem to be getting a lot of them at the moment, and I think people can see that there’s a message in that.”

Climate Change Minister James Shaw noted the link to climate change on Saturday when he tweeted support for those affected by flooding.

Our hearts go out to everyone impacted by the AKL flooding 💚

Thanks to community leaders @RichardHills_@_chloeswarbrick & others for sharing critical updates.

This is climate change.

We all have a responsibility to make certain the NZ we leave our kids is safe & habitable.

— James Shaw (@jamespeshaw) January 28, 2023

Workers work to clear belongings from a property where an a man was found dead after a landslide hit in Remuera in Auckland, New Zealand. Picture: Getty Images

A house on Shore Road Remuera destroyed by a landslide after heavy rain. Picture: New Zealand Herald/Alex Burton

MORE SEVERE RAIN FORECAST

Emergency services have warned that more severe rain is forecast in coming days and the clean-up, which is underway, will be a lengthy process.

“Between now and 7am (Monday), this line of thunderstorms could produce localised downpours of 50-90mm of rainfall,” an Auckland Emergency Management alert warned.

Local media reports at least 5000 properties are being assessed for flood or landslide damage. “The flooding situation has been a traumatic experience for everyone in Auckland,” New Zealand’s deputy prime minister Carmel Sepuloni told reporters.

“The most horrific part of it has been that we have lost lives … we share our condolences and sadness with that person’s family,” she added when asked about the death toll rising to four.

Neighbours watch as a property in Remuera is cleared in Auckland. Picture: Getty Images

A landslide at Maungatapu, Tauranga after heavy rains across the North Island caused landslips, washout and widespread destruction. Picture: Cameron Avery

DEATH TOLL RISES TO FOUR

New Zealand’s largest city saw 249mm of rainfall on Friday, smashing the previous record of 161mm in a 24-hour period.

Two bodies were found in floodwater at separate locations Friday night in the northern suburb of Wairau Valley, and a third was discovered Saturday after a landslide brought down a home in Remuera.

On Sunday a drone operator discovered the body of a man about a kilometre from where he was swept away Friday at Onewhero, south of Auckland.

A granny flat is washed out on to a street in Auckland. Picture: Elizabeth Binning

A train derailed near Teu Puke after heavy rain brought flooding across the North Island. Picture: Tyson Smith

THOUSANDS WITHOUT POWER

At the peak of the flooding on Friday, around 24,000 homes were without power, according to transport minister Michael Wood, speaking alongside Sepuloni — who is also a member of parliament for the West Auckland suburb Kelston.

She said that by Sunday around 3000 homes were still without electricity, and a number of homes were without water, including hers. She added that companies were working to reinstate electricity and water.

People trying to cross the road in Greenlane during torrential rain and severe flooding across Auckland and the North Island. Picture: Dean Purcell

Passengers stranded at Auckland Airport. Picture: Jed Bradley

INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT REOPENS

Friday’s torrential rain also flooded terminals at Auckland airport, which had to be closed before international flights could resume on Sunday.

Jetstar flight JQ202 to Sydney departed just before 7am local time (5am AEDT), the first international passenger flight out of Auckland Airport since the temporary closure.

More than 1000 meals, 500 blankets and hundreds of water bottles and fruit were given to stranded passengers on Saturday.

Friday’s storm was Auckland’s “wettest day on record”, officials said, amid growing questions about the emergency response.

The Elton John concert at Mt Smart on Saturday night was cancelled, as was Friday night’s, which was deemed “too dangerous”.

Originally published as New Zealand-bound plane flies 13 hours only to land back in Dubai after floods close airport