Seven people missing for days in Pacific found by New Zealand air force

People on two small boats were rescued (RNZAF via AP)

A New Zealand air force plane has found seven people who went missing on board two small boats near the remote Pacific nation of Kiribati late last week.

A military spokesman said the crew on an Orion plane had coincidentally spotted the two boats within 18.5 kilometres of each other on Monday after the boats went missing in separate incidents from the island nation.