Air New Zealand says a pilot who was unable to fly caused a delay of about 14 hours on its San Francisco to Auckland route. The airline states the problem stems from sickness, which left the pilot unfit for the next leg.
The outlets differ on the details surrounding the circumstances. Stuff reports that Air NZ declines to elaborate on the specific illness while it investigates a separate alleged off-duty altercation involving two crew members. View From The Wing reports a claim of a fight at a San Francisco hotel, adding that passengers were told the pilot was sick and that a replacement aircraft crew was arranged but required mandatory rest time before they could operate the flight.
While both sources reference the same delay and the airline’s use of “sickness” as the explanation to passengers, they diverge in emphasis: one focuses on Air NZ’s limited disclosure and an ongoing internal investigation, while the other highlights a reported off-duty incident and the logistics of the replacement crew’s rest period.
