New Zealand PM flies commercial to Japan after problem with air force plane

New Zealand’s Prime Minister Christopher Luxon speaks during a joint press conference with Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister James Marape (not pictured) in Port Moresby on June 16, 2024. Agence France-Presse

WELLINGTON — New Zealand’s prime minister was forced to take a commercial flight to Japan after his air force plane broke down while refueling in Papua New Guinea, his office said Monday.

Christopher Luxon switched late Sunday to a scheduled flight from Port Moresby to Tokyo via Hong Kong because of a technical issue with the New Zealand Defense Force Boeing 757 aircraft he had been flying on.

A problem with a command module for a small flap on the wing meant the aircraft could not fly as high or as fast as normal, affecting its range, a defense spokesperson said.

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It was detected while the plane was on the ground in Papua New Guinea.

A delegation of business leaders and journalists accompanying Luxon had to wait until Monday to fly on the air force 757 to Brisbane and then catch a commercial flight to Tokyo, the spokesperson said.

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Luxon is expected to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during his four-day visit.

In March, the New Zealand leader had to fly commercial to Australia for meetings with Southeast Asian leaders after a problem with the landing gear grounded his defence force plane while still on the tarmac in Wellington.