SYDNEY— Qantas (QF) flight QF857, operating from Canberra Airport (CBR) to Perth Airport (PER), was diverted to Adelaide Airport (ADL) on Friday night after a smell was detected on board. Passengers landed in Adelaide around 1 am, well past the airport’s regular curfew hours.
The aircraft received a priority landing at Adelaide given the late hour, and Qantas engineers inspected the plane overnight before clearing it for service the following morning. All passengers were re-accommodated and eventually reached Perth.
Qantas Flight Diverted to Adelaide
Flight QF857 departed Canberra on Friday night en route to Perth when the onboard smell prompted the crew to redirect the aircraft to Adelaide.
The nature of the smell has not been publicly confirmed by Qantas, though the diversion followed standard safety protocols that require crews to land at the nearest suitable airport when an unusual odour is detected in the cabin or flight deck.
Adelaide Airport, which operates under a curfew, accommodated the aircraft under a priority landing arrangement — a procedure reserved for flights that require urgent access outside scheduled hours. The aircraft touched down around 1 am local time.
Engineering Inspection and Passenger Re-accommodation
Qantas engineers assessed the aircraft overnight, and it was cleared for service by Saturday. The airline re-accommodated all affected passengers on flights from Adelaide to Perth the following morning.
The turnaround was relatively swift, with the aircraft returning to regular operations the same day. No injuries or medical incidents were reported in connection with the diversion.
A Qantas spokesperson acknowledged the disruption, stating that the airline understood the experience would have been frustrating for customers and offered a sincere apology for the inconvenience.
Diversions of this nature, while uncommon, are a standard part of aviation safety procedures. Crews are trained to treat any unidentified smell on board as a potential safety concern and act accordingly, prioritising passenger and aircraft safety above schedule.
Similar Incident
Qantas Airways (QF) flight QF63, operating an Airbus A380 on the Sydney (SYD) to Johannesburg (JNB) route, made a precautionary air return to Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD) on September 30, 2025, after a fault developed in its satellite communications system.
The aircraft departed Sydney at 10:13 AEST, 43 minutes behind its scheduled departure time of 09:30.
The Airbus A380 had been in the air for about four hours when it turned back to Sydney due to a fault with satellite communications, landing back at the airport shortly after 7:30 p.m. No mayday or emergency call was declared at any point during the incident.
QF63 Turns Back Over Southern Ocean After Comms System Failure
Operated by Qantas Airways (QF) Airbus A380-800 aircraft VH-OQL, the flight was traveling southwest and had passed over the Australian states of Victoria and Tasmania before encountering issues with the satellite communications system.
This restricted the aircraft from being able to operate safely over large bodies of water, resulting in the crew’s decision to return to base.
The Airbus A380, registration VH-OQL, was in the air for 4.5 hours and was south of Tasmania before it turned back.
The Sydney (SYD) to Johannesburg (JNB) route typically spans 14 hours and 45 minutes, making QF63 one of the longest routes in Qantas Airways’ (QF) network and the only Airbus A380 service operating entirely within the Southern Hemisphere.
A spokesperson for Qantas confirmed that no mayday or other emergency calls were made, and stated that the aircraft would be examined by an engineering team to determine the cause of the fault.
The airline described the return as a precautionary measure, as satellite communications are essential for maintaining contact with air traffic control while crossing remote oceanic regions such as the Southern Ocean.
Passenger Handling and Flight Rescheduling
All passengers were offered accommodation and booked on another flight scheduled to depart at 1 p.m. on Wednesday. Qantas Airways (QF) confirmed that 410 passengers were on board the affected flight.
Qantas rescheduled QF63 for Wednesday at 13:00 AEST from Terminal 1. Passengers who were on board the original flight were accommodated on the new service. The airline assisted affected passengers, including additional accommodation and meals.
