Passanger airplane flying above clouds in evening. For the second year in a row, Air New Zealand has been rated the safest airline in the world, beating out transtasman rivals, Qantas, for the top ...

It was then that ground staff told Neas the plane had returned to New Zealand — with Mittens still on board. The return trip involves about 7.5 hours in the air. “I said, how can this happen?