The plane was only in the air for 90 minutes (Getty Images)An Air New Zealand plane was forced to return to the airport shortly after departure when it was struck by lightning. The country’s National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research said there were 60,000 lightning strikes in the Tasman Sea and near to northern New Zealand earlier this week. She told Stuff.co.nz that while she understands that lightning strikes are unpredictable, the airline has disappointed her in how they’ve handled things: “It’s just poor communication”. “Lightning strikes are not uncommon,” they added. And in summer 2022, a Wizz Air flight from Tirana, Albania, bound for Abu Dhabi turned back after 25 minutes due to lightning strikes during its ascent.

Source: Stuff June 22, 2023 09:16 UTC