Passengers on a flight from Wellington to Melbourne found themselves on an 870-kilometre detour up towards Norfolk Island, meaning their flight took almost five hours. A Qantas spokesperson said it was an issue with the "engine driven pump filler" on the 737 aircraft. In recent decades, airlines have increasingly used twin-engine planes, like the 777, to fly long-haul routes over oceans. Twin engine planes can now fly up to five and a half hours away from the nearest airport. Across the Tasman, the short hop is easily within ETOPS rules, meaning twin-engine planes can fly direct.

Source: Stuff June 22, 2022 22:09 UTC