A Fiji Airways flight has landed safely after a bird strike sparked a full emergency at Christchurch Airport this afternoon.
Fire & Emergency NZ, ambulance, police and airport staff were on standby for the flight, which was forced to circle the city.
The emergency involved Fiji Airways flight FJ450, which took off from Christchurch, bound for Nadi.
The Boeing 737-808 was the most tracked flight in the world on Flightradar24.
Flight maps showed the plane circling over Canterbury, around the Lake Ellesmere area.
Fiji Airways said the plane experienced a bird strike shortly after departure.
“The aircraft is currently holding safely in the air to burn fuel and achieve the required landing weight. All guests and crew remain safe on board,” a spokesperson said earlier.
“Our flight and engineering teams are closely monitoring the situation, and the aircraft will land as soon as it is safe to do so. We are assisting all affected guests and will provide updates as they become available.”
Fire & Emergency said four fire engines and a command unit were standing by, waiting for it to land.
A livestream of the airport subsequently showed the flight landing safely.
Images showed the plane’s nose cone caved in, and blood on the sides.
Police say they were notified of “an incident at Christchurch Airport” about 2.30pm, and officers are in attendance.
Fiji Airways apologised for the inconvenience and thanked its guests for their patience.
“Safety remains our highest priority,” the spokesperson added.
The aircraft has a total capacity of 170, with eight in business class and 162 in economy.
It has two high-bypass turbofan engines and a range typically of about 5400km.
Its engines are CFM-56, made by CFM, a joint company between GE Aerospace and France’s Safran Aircraft Engines.
The 737-800 does not have the ability to dump fuel. So if the aircraft needs to lose weight, the pilot will fly it in circles.
MORE TO COME.