Emirates passengers at Auckland Airport complained of being kept on a plane for five hours without proper food or air conditioning. The incident occurred on flight EK449 (Airbus A380 reg. A6-EUU), scheduled to depart from Auckland to Dubai at 21:00 on January 7.
Due to a technical issue, the departure was delayed, and passengers experienced discomfort as the air conditioning switched off, causing high temperatures on the fully loaded plane. Some passengers reported being provided with only a small bag of chips over the four-hour delay. The flight was ready to depart at 01:00, but the Auckland Airport’s 01:30 curfew had begun, leading to the cancellation of the flight.
Emirates apologised for the inconvenience caused by the technical fault but did not address questions about the duration of the passengers’ confinement or the provision of food and air conditioning. Passengers were forced to go through customs and passport control as if they had arrived, and some faced delays in receiving vouchers for taxis and hotels. The flight eventually left the next day at 19:45, almost 23 hours late, and many passengers experienced further issues with rebooked connecting flights, including additional layovers.
Emirates offered compensation, with passengers describing the ordeal as traumatic and emotionally challenging, given their reasons for travel.
