Sydney-bound passengers have been left stranded in the Pacific after their plane made an emergency landing in American Samoa.
United Airlines Flight 839 was making the journey from Los Angeles to Sydney when it was forced to divert to Pago Pago due to an issue with the right engine.
Over 325 people were on board the plane, which was due to land in Sydney on Saturday morning but instead touched down in Pago Pago shortly before 4am AEDT.
The Boeing 787-9 left Los Angeles just before midnight (local time) on Thursday
Relatives of the affected passengers took to Twitter to provide updates on their well-being.
One man said his daughter had been travelling on the flight to Sydney with several friends when it was diverted and was now “drinking beers” on a deserted beach.
Another woman said her son and granddaughters were on the flight and had been welcomed by the “incredibly generous” Samoan locals.
“Everyone is being looked after before their flight early tomorrow,” she said.
She further criticised the “silence” from United Airlines.
United Airlines confirmed to the Sydney Morning Herald they were flying in a new aircraft to the island so passengers could “finish their trip to Sydney soon”.
The rescue flight is scheduled to land in Sydney around 7.15am on New Year’s Day, giving holidaymakers a New Year’s Eve they won’t forget anytime soon.
The runways at Pago Pago are 3,000 metres long – just long enough for the 2,740 metres needed to land a Boeing 787-9.
Sky News Australia contacted United Airlines for comment.