Air New Zealand grounds fourth Dreamliner, forced to change US flights

Another Air New Zealand Dreamliner has been grounded. Photo / Michael Craig

Air New Zealand has grounded a fourth 787 Dreamliner, disrupting travel plans for Kiwis heading to the US.

The airline announced it had grounded another Dreamliner due to “continued engine challenges”, in an email sent to travellers.

Four of the airline’s 14 Dreamliners have now been grounded in total this year.

Air New Zealand chief executive officer Greg Foran said Air New Zealand wasn’t the only airline experiencing issues.

“This is not unique to Air New Zealand; several airlines worldwide are similarly impacted,” he said.

Travellers were told that, as a result of the “unexpected change” the airline was forced to review its planned schedule from December through to the end of January 2025.

The airline apologised for the disruption and said travellers’ journeys had already been rebooked. Foran said 4% of customers travelling on the international network over the two-month period would experience a schedule change.

“Our team has been closely managing these challenges to limit the impact on our customers as much as possible,” he added.

One traveller shared the email to Reddit and claimed their flight to the US in December was delayed for two days as a result.

Travellers who do not accept their new booking can select another option, such as cancelling the flight for a full refund.

However, others are invited to contact the airline to discuss alternative travel dates.

In 2023, Air New Zealand said continued problems affecting Pratt & Whitney engines would cause significant disruption into 2024.

Last year the engine maker announced approximately 700 engines would be impacted globally due to an issue that could result in tiny cracks. As a result, aircraft have been removed from service worldwide for quality inspections.

Foran said the airline was “deeply sorry” for the frustration or stress caused.

“We share their frustration, as we know how important it is to deliver on our promise of connecting our customers with each other and the world, especially over the holiday period,” he said.