'Engine issue' diverts Wellington-Sydney Air NZ flight to Auckland

An Air New Zealand flight from Wellington to Sydney diverted to Auckland this afternoon after experiencing an "engine issue" an hour into the flight, the airline says.

Flight NZ249 from Wellington to Sydney departed Wellington shortly before 3pm on Sunday.

The website FlightRadar24.com showed the aircraft diverting sharply toward Auckland shortly after leaving Wellington.

Head of flight operations Hugh Pearce said the engine was shut down and the aircraft was diverted to Auckland as is standard operating procedure. It landed safely just after 5.20pm, he added.

"The matter will now be investigated. Customers will rebooked on the next available service. We thank them for their patience."