Travellers flying with Emirates to Auckland on Friday had a long trip to nowhere when the aircraft they were travelling on turned back to Dubai after seven hours in the air.
Flight number EK448 from Dubai to Auckland departed the UAE at around 10.30am on Friday, setting off on the airline's longest commercial route — a 14,200km journey to New Zealand’s largest city.
With a total flying time of more than 16 hours, passengers were nearly halfway through the journey, flying near Malaysia, when the jet U-turned, according to data from flight tracking website FlightRadar24.
The aircraft was unable to continue to its destination as Auckland Airport announced it was closing because of major flooding.
Passengers landed back in Dubai again after more than 13 hours in the air, according to data aviation analytics company Cirium.
The rescheduled flight departed Dubai for the second time on Sunday, operating as flight number EK8448. It departed Dubai just after 11am and is expected to arrive in New Zealand at 11.20am on Monday.
Other Emirates flights have been affected by New Zealand's severe weather. Emirates flight EK448 was delayed for more than five hours on Saturday.
Flight EK448, which was due to depart Dubai for Auckland on Sunday, was cancelled and passengers set to connect on the service from other destinations were not accepted for travel at their original points of departure.
Emirates has advised customers affected due to cancellations to contact their travel agents or Emirates call centres for rebooking options. The airline said flights from Auckland to Dubai on Sunday and Monday were unaffected and “planned to operate according to schedule”.
Some Emirates passengers have taken to social media to express concern over the airline's rebooking process.
More than one Twitter user tweeted that the earliest flights being offered for rebooking are not until February 7, more than a week from Sunday.
More than 1,000 travellers stranded at Auckland Airport
Thousands of travellers were stranded at Auckland Airport on Saturday night after severe weather and flooding.
More than 1,000 passengers are waiting inside the international terminal of the airport and authorities and volunteers handed out more than 1,000 meals, 500 blankets and hundreds of bottles of water and fruit to travellers overnight.
Travellers were advised that international flight schedules will take some time to normalise and asked passengers to be patient.
“For people travelling internationally, we want to let them know that some airport processes may take longer than normal as we restart international travel, so we just ask for travellers’ patience and understanding as we gradually get back up to speed.
“With the disruption to flight schedules, it may also take airlines several days to rebook passengers. Anyone travelling in the next few days who has questions about the impact to their travel plans should talk to their airline or travel agent. Rest assured, we’re all working together as an airport community to get everyone where they need to be over the coming days.”
On Sunday morning, a Jetstar flight to Sydney was the first international passenger flight to depart Auckland Airport since its temporary closure.
An Air New Zealand flight from Los Angeles with 355 passengers on board was the first to arrive since the airport reopened, landing in Auckland just after 7am on Sunday.
The specs: 2018 Ducati SuperSport S
Price, base / as tested: Dh74,900 / Dh85,900
Engine: 937cc
Transmission: Six-speed gearbox
Power: 110hp @ 9,000rpm
Torque: 93Nm @ 6,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 5.9L / 100km
Key facilities
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- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
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Power: 819hp
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Read more about the coronavirus
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
The biog
Favourite food: Tabbouleh, greek salad and sushi
Favourite TV show: That 70s Show
Favourite animal: Ferrets, they are smart, sensitive, playful and loving
Favourite holiday destination: Seychelles, my resolution for 2020 is to visit as many spiritual retreats and animal shelters across the world as I can
Name of first pet: Eddy, a Persian cat that showed up at our home
Favourite dog breed: I love them all - if I had to pick Yorkshire terrier for small dogs and St Bernard's for big
The biog
Nickname: Mama Nadia to children, staff and parents
Education: Bachelors degree in English Literature with Social work from UAE University
As a child: Kept sweets on the window sill for workers, set aside money to pay for education of needy families
Holidays: Spends most of her days off at Senses often with her family who describe the centre as part of their life too
The five pillars of Islam
South Africa's T20 squad
Duminy (c), Behardien, Dala, De Villiers, Hendricks, Jonker, Klaasen (wkt), Miller, Morris, Paterson, Phangiso, Phehlukwayo, Shamsi, Smuts.
The biog
Name: Gul Raziq
From: Charsadda, Pakistan
Family: Wife and six children
Favourite holes at Al Ghazal: 15 and 8
Golf Handicap: 6
Childhood sport: cricket
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The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
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- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
MATCH INFO
Euro 2020 qualifier
Ukraine 2 (Yaremchuk 06', Yarmolenko 27')
Portugal 1 (Ronaldo 72' pen)
Titanium Escrow profile
Started: December 2016
Founder: Ibrahim Kamalmaz
Based: UAE
Sector: Finance / legal
Size: 3 employees, pre-revenue
Stage: Early stage
Investors: Founder's friends and Family
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Dubai World Cup Carnival Card:
6.30pm: Handicap US$135,000 (Turf) 1,200m
7.05pm: Handicap $135,000 (Dirt) 1,200m
7.40pm: Zabeel Turf Listed $175,000 (T) 2,000m
8.15pm: Cape Verdi Group Two $250,000 (T) 1,600m
8.50pm: Handicap $135,000 (D) 1,600m
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THE CARD
2pm: Maiden Dh 60,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
2.30pm: Handicap Dh 76,000 (D) 1,400m
3pm: Handicap Dh 64,000 (D) 1,200m
3.30pm: Shadwell Farm Conditions Dh 100,000 (D) 1,000m
4pm: Maiden Dh 60,000 (D) 1,000m
4.30pm: Handicap 64,000 (D) 1,950m
More on animal trafficking
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GYAN’S ASIAN OUTPUT
2011-2015: Al Ain – 123 apps, 128 goals
2015-2017: Shanghai SIPG – 20 apps, 7 goals
2016-2017: Al Ahli (loan) – 25 apps, 11 goals
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
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Torque: 175Nm
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Racecard:
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4pm: Handicap; Dh95,000; 1,950m
4.30pm: Maiden; Dh65,000; 1,400m
5pm: Handicap; Dh85,000; 1,200m
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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1.
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United States
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2.
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China
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3.
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UAE
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4.
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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6.
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The biog
Name: Marie Byrne
Nationality: Irish
Favourite film: The Shawshank Redemption
Book: Seagull by Jonathan Livingston
Life lesson: A person is not old until regret takes the place of their dreams
Profile of VoucherSkout
Date of launch: November 2016
Founder: David Tobias
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers
Sector: Technology
Size: 18 employees
Stage: Embarking on a Series A round to raise $5 million in the first quarter of 2019 with a 20 per cent stake
Investors: Seed round was self-funded with “millions of dollars”
