Air New Zealand plane 'locked down' after passenger and crew illness

An Air New Zealand flight was on lockdown for over an hour after passengers and crew on board fell ill.

Masked doctors boarded the plane on Friday night and one person was taken to hospital as a precautionary measure.

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Five passengers and one crew member became ill on board flight NZ281 from Singapore, which landed at Auckland International Airport on Friday night at 10.35pm.

Passengers could not embark until 11.50pm.

An Air New Zealand spokeswoman said the airline was in direct contact with the regional health authority, but said there was insufficient information to know what caused the passengers and crew member to become ill.

According to Stuff.co.nz, she said: "Two passengers confirmed to medical staff they were unwell prior to boarding the flight in Singapore.

"One was taken to Middlemore Hospital as a precautionary measure. We apologise for any inconvenience caused to other customers who were delayed disembarking the aircraft as a result of this."

The NZ Herald reports that some passengers were "panicked".

Pratheesh Kurian, who was flying with his wife and two children, said: "We didn't know what was going on. I was really scared, it could've been anything.

"Everyone waiting for the passengers was panicking."