New Zealand PM Flies Commercial for ASEAN Summit After Fault Grounds Aircraft

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon faced an unexpected hurdle on Tuesday as he had to resort to a commercial flight to attend an ASEAN summit in Australia. The setback arose when a technical issue grounded his military aircraft, with reports suggesting the delay might impact scheduled meetings.

The prime minister's intended departure from Wellington was disrupted by a pre-flight maintenance check revealing a significant electrical fault, prompting a shift to commercial travel. While Luxon's office confirmed the change in plans, specific details were not disclosed.

New Zealand's defense force relies on two Boeing 757-200s acquired in 2003 for transporting national leaders. These aircraft have experienced reliability issues in recent years, leading to instances of leaders being stranded abroad or official trips being delayed.

Luxon's situation mirrors former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's experience in 2019 when she had to take a commercial flight back from Australia due to a breakdown of a military plane. Additionally, in 2022, a mechanical problem with the aircraft forced her to spend an extra night in New Zealand's Antarctica research station.

Concerns were raised in the media that Luxon's delay might impact crucial meetings with Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr and Laos' Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, scheduled on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit. The summit, hosted in Melbourne, gathers leaders and officials from the 10-member ASEAN grouping from Monday to Wednesday. Despite New Zealand not being an ASEAN member, Luxon attends at the invitation of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

न्यूजीलैंड प्रधानमंत्री, हवाई यात्रा के लिए ASEAN समिट के लिए कमर्शियल उड़ानों में बैठी, जहाँ विमान में खराबी हुई थी।