Air New Zealand flight forced to make emergency landing in Sydney after suspected hydraulic failure

An Air New Zealand flight from Christchurch has been forced to make an emergency landing at Sydney Airport following a technical issue mid-flight.

Flight NZ221, which departed on Friday morning, is believed to have experienced a hydraulic failure while crossing the Tasman Sea.

“NZ221 from Christchurch to Sydney reported a technical issue while in flight,” Air New Zealand Chief Safety and Risk Officer Nathan McGraw confirmed to The Nightly.

Passengers were informed with around 20 minutes remaining in the journey that the aircraft would be conducting an emergency landing.

One traveller told the Daily Mail they were advised the plane would need to be towed after landing, with emergency services positioned on standby.

“It was a smooth landing,” they told the outlet.

“Everyone stayed pretty calm. I was just glad it happened close to landing and not earlier in the flight”.

The plane touched down at 8.15am, where it was immediately met by emergency responders, including Sydney Airport’s Fire & Rescue team.

Another passenger said they remained onboard for approximately an hour without full clarity on the situation unfolding outside.

“There were fire trucks and flashing lights everywhere, which was a bit of an experience. It felt a little unsettling, but everyone stayed patient,” they said.

The aircraft remained on the tarmac for over an hour while engineers and emergency crews assessed the issue before it was eventually towed to a gate, allowing passengers to disembark.

“Our engineering team will now carry out inspections to ensure the aircraft is safe to return to service,” Mr McGraw said.