Qantas flight bound for Australia is forced to turn back twice

December 16, 2024
Qantas flight bound for Australia is forced to turn back twice
  • Qantas flight turned back twice on Monday

  • Plane was headed from Christchurch to Melbourne

A flight from New Zealand headed for Melbourne has had to make two U-turns.

At 6:46 a.m. on Monday, flight QF168 departed Christchurch and was en route to the capital city of Victoria.

Two hours later, it landed back in Christchurch after being forced to turn around while over the Tasman Sea.

A Qantas spokesman explained the reason for the first return.

'Pilots elected to return to Christchurch due to an issue with their radio,' he said.

'The aircraft was inspected by engineering and has since taken off as normal.' 

The plane took off before it was forced to turn around for a second time as it approached the Tasman Sea. 

'Shortly after taking off again, an unusual smell was reported in the cabin,' the Qantas spokesman said.

'Engineers are inspecting the aircraft to determine the cause of the smell, and passengers will be reaccommodated on flights via Auckland today.

'We apologise to customers for the inconvenience caused by these unrelated air returns, and are working hard to get customers on their way as quickly as possible.'