An Air New Zealand flight from Auckland to Perth was diverted after pilots identified an engineering issue.

Flight NZ175, which departed at 12.35pm today, returned to Auckland Airport about an hour into the flight.

“Our engineering team in Auckland is best placed to carry out the necessary repairs, so the decision was made to return the aircraft to ensure it can safely re-enter service as soon as possible”, said Air New Zealand chief operating officer Alex Marren.

The journey and flight NZ176 from Perth to Auckland were cancelled as a result.

Marren said the airline was working to rebook affected customers on the next available services and apologised for disruptions to travel plans.

“We appreciate their patience and understanding as we work to get everyone to their destination as quickly as possible.”