Air New Zealand on-duty pilot falls asleep during trans-Atlantic flight

An on-duty pilot fell asleep during a trans-Atlantic Air New Zealand flight on Thursday.

The unnamed pilot reportedly fell asleep twice during the flight, tired from changing his hotel room three times the previous night due to air-conditioning problems.

He fell asleep for about a minute each time.

But luckily, he was not the only pilot on the flight deck.

New Zealand transport minister, Gerry Brownlee, wants more airline safety assurances.

Gerry Brownlee, New Zealand Transport Minister: “You’ve got big reputational issues here. This doesn’t look good. Satisfy the public that you’re making sure your pilots are not asleep on the job.”

The pilot won’t face disciplinary action, as Air New Zealand wants its staff to report any other similar incidents.