Pilots are seeking an investigation into Auckland International Airport (AKL) in regard to the airport's choice to stay operational during last month’s floods.
What happened?
The New Zealand Air Line Pilots’ Association (NZALPA) asked the country’s Transport Accident and Investigation Commission (TAIC) to start an inquiry about the airport’s decision to stay open during the harsh weather conditions on January 27, 2023, according to a report by Stuff.
The report also indicated that the pilots were unaware of the depth of the water on the runway and that, at one point, the water's level had to be estimated using a worker's boot. Simple Flying has reached out to the NZALPA for a comment.
It is worth noting that on the same day that flooding began, an Air New Zealand aircraft lost control on the ground at Auckland Airport due to harsh weather conditions, according to the TAIC.
The Air New Zealand Boeing 777-300ER, registered as ZK-OKN, was operating scheduled flight NZ125 between Melbourne and Auckland and landed just in the midst of very heavy rain and strong wind gusts, veering away from the runway’s center line and damaging six landing lights. The incident caused a temporary closure of the runway.
Naveen Kozhuppankalam, the TAIC’s chief accident investigator, told Australian Aviation that ”the pilot regained control, completed the landing, and taxied the aircraft to the airport terminal.”
The Boeing 777’s temporary loss of ground control happened prior to the airport’s closure. Shortly after the incident, the TAIC started an investigation into flight NZ125.
Discover more aviation news for Australia and Oceania here.
Auckland Airport braces for Cyclone Gabrielle
Auckland Airport is bracing for the upcoming Cyclone Gabrielle. The airport said on its Twitter account that it is prepared with plans in place for all scenarios.
On February 12, 2023, AKL airport gave an update about the evolving situation.
In January 2023, the largest New Zealand's city was hit by record rainfall that sparked floods. Torrential rains resulted in travel disruptions for many travelers with Auckland Airport closed for over the weekend.
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Sources: Stuff, Australian Aviation, Transport Accident and Investigation Commission (TAIC)