At least 50 injured after 'incident' on flight from Sydney to Auckland
Emergency services were alerted to an "incident" at about 3.38pm local time. Dozens of passengers were assessed and treated at the scene, while 12 were taken to hospital.
Monday 11 March 2024 09:19, UK
At least 50 people have been injured after a flight from Sydney to Auckland suffered a "technical" issue mid-air.
LATAM Airlines said in a statement there was "a technical event during the flight which caused a strong movement".
It added: "LATAM deeply regrets any inconvenience and discomfort this situation may have caused its passengers and reiterates its commitment to safety as a priority within the framework of its operational standards."
It said seven passengers and three cabin crew members were taken to hospital for medical checks, but no serious injuries had been reported.
Ambulance service Hato Hone St John said it was alerted to an "incident" at 3.58pm local time and seven ambulances, two rapid response vehicles and two major incident support team vehicles were among those deployed to the scene.
It said in an earlier statement around 50 people were assessed and treated at the scene, with one person in a serious condition and the remainder in a moderate to minor condition.
One passenger said she experienced a "quick little drop" during the flight, The New Zealand Herald reported.
She said she saw "at least" five people being taken away by paramedics who were waiting after the plane landed and was pleased to have made it safely to New Zealand.
The woman added she was unaware of how serious the incident was for other passengers.
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The LA800 flight, a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, landed at Auckland Airport as scheduled on Monday afternoon, according to flight tracker, FlightAware.
LATAM said following the cancellation of the flight, a new one has been scheduled for 8pm local time on 12 March and all affected passengers had been provided with food and accommodation.
The Chilean airline operates regular routes between Sydney, Auckland and major cities in South America.