An Air New Zealand flight headed to Taupō was diverted back to Auckland after the pilot was alerted to potential engineering concerns.

According to Flightradar24, the aircraft almost made the entire journey to Taupō before circling back.

Flight NZ5095 departed from Auckland at 4.55pm and landed back in the city at 5.35pm.

The flight usually takes about 50 minutes.

Air New Zealand chief operating officer Alex Marren told the Herald that NZ5095 returned to Auckland this evening for engineering inspections after pilots noted a system indication during the flight.

The aircraft was undergoing an inspection with the engineering team and customers were being reaccommodated on the next alternative service.

“We want to thank our customers for their patience as we work to get them safely to their destination,” Marren said.