Air New Zealand Dreamliner Delayed in China by Faulty Brakes

Hundreds of passengers grounded by faulty brakes on an Air New Zealand Dreamliner aircraft were on their way to Auckland on Saturday afternoon after a delay of almost a day.

Flight NZ288 was scheduled to leave Shanghai at 2:15 p.m. on Friday (Shanghai time) but was delayed overnight.

The flight was expected to arrive in Auckland on Sunday at 2:30 a.m.

An Air New Zealand spokeswoman said the flight to Auckland was delayed due to a "brake electronics fault".

"Boarding had not commenced when the issue was identified and passengers were kept well informed." All were accommodated overnight in Shanghai, she said.

The delay dented the confidence of one frequent flier on the flight, who asked not to be identified. Passengers had been told on Friday that a new part needed to be flown in from Hong Kong and it was the third time in the last few years he had experienced delays due to mechanical problems on the route, he said.

"Twice hydraulic systems, and last night a missing piece of aircraft. I start to wonder if Air New Zealand maintenance is up to scratch or not," he said.

The fault had been discovered when the aircraft was on the ground in Shanghai, she said. She did not confirm whether it was of a nature that would require the Civil Aviation Authority to be informed. 

Another passenger, Martin Leenders, said the captain had fronted on Friday, along with the flight crew, and were very professional.

Air New Zealand has not confirmed a piece of the plane was missing and the frequent flier said it was possible he had misheard. The airline's spokeswoman, Anna Cross, said a replacement part had been flown to Shanghai from Auckland.

The Dreamliner, a Boeing 787-9 aircraft, has been hit by a number of technical glitches since it was launched. In 2013, a body panel fell off during a landing.

Air New Zealand announced a Dreamliner upgrade for its popular Auckland-Honolulu service last month. The carrier was the first airline to fly the larger version of Boeing's next generation long haul passenger jet.

The first of the airline's orders arrived at Auckland Airport last July.