Air New Zealand chief operational integrity and safety officer David Morgan said flight NZ677 was due to depart Auckland Airport for Dunedin at 5.40pm on Friday.
However, a police spokeswoman said a threat had been made by phone, specific to that flight, which delayed its departure.
‘‘The plane was held at Auckland Airport and all those on board were removed... and taken to a secure location within the airport, as a precautionary measure.
‘‘The plane and all luggage on board was checked by police’s Specialist Search Group, and nothing of concern was located.’’
Passenger Helen Cannan said her experience with the response team was ‘‘largely positive’’.
‘‘Once back in a large, but not locked, room, more water and various types of food were provided.
‘‘When they ran out, more was brought in. Some parents were able to go and get McDonald’s food for their upset children.
‘‘Yes, babies and little ones were crying, as you would expect. They were pretty amazing though, as were their parents. Air NZ staff worked very hard to make a bad and unexpected situation more bearable.’’
Passengers were allowed their phones, so were able to let family know of the situation, Ms Cannan said.
‘‘Security followed their processes as they should have and you can’t rush that stuff.
‘‘People would have complained if it all went south and nothing had been done. Safety is important and I certainly appreciated that.’’
Mr Morgan yesterday said passengers remained on board for a time before disembarking ‘‘while standard procedures were followed’’.
He said he appreciated such situations could be distressing and uncomfortable for passengers, ‘‘but the safety of everyone on board is our top priority’’.
‘‘After passengers disembarked, our team worked hard to support passengers by providing snacks, hot food, fruit and water, booking accommodation for the night, and re-booking flights, while the police managed the incident.
‘‘Our team is following up with passengers today to check in with them.’’
However, some passengers were less than satisfied with the treatment.
A Dunedin man who picked up one of the flight’s passengers on Saturday said some people on the plane were very distressed when they found out about the security threat.
‘‘Some people thought there might be a bomb.
‘‘The plane went down to the far end of the airport and they disembarked off a grass area, and they sort of left row by row. Police and security staff were there. It was a very sort of military-type operation.’’
The situation sounded like it was a ‘‘mess’’ once the passengers were all directed to the special room, he said.
‘‘The plane was due to board about 5.30pm [on Friday]. By the time the passengers were sent to the room, they had been waiting for hours with little to no food.
‘‘There were people standing or lying on the floor. They were hungry - later on, some finger food arrived, such as wraps and a few sandwiches.
‘‘I understand it was a difficult situation for everyone but it just doesn’t sound good enough for me.’’
Inquiries into the incident were continuing, the police spokeswoman said.
