Source: Melissa Nightingale | www.nzherald.co.nz

Engineering checks are being carried out on an Air New Zealand plane after smoke was reported in the cockpit this morning.

Air New Zealand chief operational integrity and safety officer David Morgan said passengers were “advised to disembark” as a precaution and as part of standard operating procedure “following reports of a light smoke haze in the flight deck of the aircraft after boarding”.

“Emergency services also attended the aircraft on the tarmac as a precautionary measure,” Morgan said.

“The aircraft was inspected and will now undertake further engineering checks before it returns to service.

“Customers were communicated with by the captain and have been re-accommodated on to another aircraft which is due to depart shortly. We want to reassure customers our pilots and crew are trained to a high standard to manage situations of this nature and we thank our customers for their patience and understanding.”

Airport spokesman Phil Rennie earlier said fire crews had been called to reports of smoke in the cockpit of a small, regional plane this morning.

Upon attendance, however, no smoke was found.

“It’s currently being investigated,” said Rennie, who advised the matter was causing some delays to flights at the capital.

He later said the delays had been cleared. The passengers on the Tauranga-bound flight and one other disembarking plane were the only ones affected by the delays, and no runways were closed.

Fire and Emergency shift manager Shannon Lucas told NZME crews were called to reports of smoke in a plane at Wellington Airport.

She said they did get called and responded but did not find anything, and have been “stood down”.