NZ flight turns back mid-air after discovering it lacks permission to land in China

[Longtimer]

NZ flight turns back mid-air after discovering it lacks permission to land in ChinaFlight NZ289 carrying about 270 passengers left Auckland shortly before midnight on Saturday only to return about 10 a.m. on SundayIn this Aug. 23, 2015, file photo, an Air New Zealand passenger plane flies past the moon on its way to the Los Angeles International Airport from London, in Whittier, Calif.Nick Ut / February 10, 2019
4:28 PM EST SYDNEY Feb 10 (Reuters) — An Air New Zealand flight to Shanghai turned back several hours into its journey on Sunday after discovering it did not have permission to land in China, the airline said.Flight NZ289 carrying about 270 passengers left Auckland shortly before midnight on Saturday only to return about 10 a.m. on Sunday. It turned around several hours into the flight.“A technicality meant the particular aircraft operating this service did not have Chinese regulatory authority to land in China,” the airline said.China’s foreign ministry did not make any immediate comment when contacted by Reuters. Calls to the civil aviation administration were not answered.Air New Zealand apologized to passengers and said a special service would fly them to Shanghai at 11 p.m. on Sunday.=centerThis advertisement has not loaded yet,=centerbut your article continues below.“We know customers will be deeply disappointed and frustrated by this situation and we are very sorry for the disruption to their travel plans,” Air New Zealand said.Disgruntled passengers voiced their disapproval on social media. One posted a picture on Twitter of the onboard flight map showing the aircraft turning around over Papua New Guinea.“I’ve just experienced a new level of China Bad: midway through our flight from Auckland to Shanghai, the pilot informs us that Chinese authorities had not given this plane permission to land, so we needed to turn around. A permitting issue, supposedly,” the passenger commented.
https://nationalpost.com/news/world/...Top+Stories%29

[Hotel Tango]

Already being discussed in the Airlines forum.

[Capn Bloggs]

(Chinese) Tea and Bikkies for someone?!

[Lordflasheart]

.....

Already being discussed in the Airlines forum.

....

... Where it's now being suggested (in the UK press) that it's another spat about the T word.

...........

[homonculus]

Which is being hotly denied by the NZ government, but this comes at the same time as China has snubbed them on other issues. China sees NZ as the weak underbelly of Five Eyes with a weak administration. Wouldn't have happened a couple of years ago.....

[4 Holer]

Turn the Chinese carriers around a couple times into NZ .... Oh yeh the Only one in the West who would do that is the Donald.

[Derfred]

I’m old enough to remember the time NZ refused entry to US nuclear subs into their harbour!

[HPSOV L]

Originally Posted by Derfred

I’m old enough to remember the time NZ refused entry to US nuclear subs into their harbour!

There were several nuclear sub visits in the 1970's, which were met with increasing levels of protest but none were refused entry.
I believe what you are referring to is the USS Buchanan, an older conventional Guided Missile Destroyer.
The USA requested a visit by this ship in 1984 but refused to confirm whether or not it had nuclear armament. This was intended as a test of NZ's nuclear free policy resolve. Unfortunately this left the NZ Govt no room to manoeuvre given the high domestic approval of the policy and they had to refuse the visit. The US then angrily shut the door on it's old ally.

Now of course we're back to best buddy status due to concern about another certain countries' increasing influence in the South Pacific. Which seems to be affecting best buddy status with that certain country.

Push - pull. Quite ironic really.

[DaveReidUK]

Originally Posted by HPSOV L

The USA requested a visit by this ship in 1984 but refused to confirm whether or not it had nuclear armament. This was intended as a test of NZ's nuclear free policy resolve. Unfortunately this left the NZ Govt no room to manoeuvre given the high domestic approval of the policy and they had to refuse the visit. The US then angrily shut the door on it's old ally.

And US/NZ relations weren't helped when, the following year, the US refused to condemn the bombing of Rainbow Warrior in Auckland Harbour by France's intelligence services.

[FlightlessParrot]

Originally Posted by homonculus

Which is being hotly denied by the NZ government, but this comes at the same time as China has snubbed them on other issues. China sees NZ as the weak underbelly of Five Eyes with a weak administration. Wouldn't have happened a couple of years ago.....

Evidently, this is about excluding Huawei from 5G infrastructure, which has been, I assume, imposed on NZ because we're part of Five Eyes. The National Party (which formed the previous administration) is making capital of this issue, as is proper for an opposition; but what it hasn't said, yet, is whether it would permit Huawei gear to be used in setting up 5G. If it did, of course, we would expect retaliation from the USA (the Eagle of Freedom would undoubtedly crap on us from extreme altitude and with laser-guided precision). It's not the administration that's weak, it's New Zealand's position between two rhinoceroses that have decided to have a trial of strength.