SYDNEY- A Qantas (QF) flight from Sydney Airport (SYD) to Melbourne Airport (MEL) was evacuated after smoke entered the cabin before departure on Monday night.
The smoke came from exhaust produced by an aircraft tug, while engineers found no problems with the Airbus A220. The flight was cancelled, and passengers were moved to Tuesday morning services.
Qantas Passengers Evacuated After Cabin Smoke Incident
Passengers preparing to travel from Sydney to Melbourne on a Qantas Airbus A220 were evacuated after visible smoke began drifting into the cabin.
The incident occurred on Monday night while the aircraft was on the ground at Sydney Airport. NewsWire reported that passengers could see the smoke inside the aircraft as it entered the cabin.
The source was traced to an aircraft tug, a ground vehicle used to move aircraft around the airport. Exhaust from the tug reportedly drifted toward the aircraft and entered the passenger cabin.
Passengers were removed from the aircraft as a precaution. Engineers then inspected the Airbus A220 and found no technical problems with the aircraft.
Sydney-Melbourne Flight Cancelled
The affected Qantas service was cancelled following the evacuation. Passengers were subsequently placed on flights operating on Tuesday morning.
Flight data later showed that the aircraft involved, registered VH-X4A, returned to service on Tuesday. It operated a series of domestic flights, including services between Sydney and Coffs Harbour, Sydney and Melbourne, and a scheduled Melbourne-Hobart sector.
The aircraft’s return to service indicates that the smoke incident did not result in a reported mechanical problem with the A220.
Incident Follows Qantas Boeing 737 Engine Emergency
The cabin smoke incident occurred two days after another Qantas flight experienced an engine problem during a flight from Queenstown to Sydney.
The Boeing 737 was climbing over New Zealand’s Otago mountains on Saturday morning when passengers reported hearing several explosions and seeing flames from the left wing.
Despite the reported engine problem, both engines remained operational, and the pilots diverted the aircraft to Christchurch Airport (CHC).
Qantas said the aircraft was believed to have experienced an engine issue. The airline confirmed that its pilots were trained to manage such situations and that the aircraft landed safely.
The airline also acknowledged that the event would have been distressing for passengers and said it would provide support to affected customers.
Boeing 737 Remains Grounded
The Boeing 737 involved in the Queenstown incident has remained out of service since the diversion to Christchurch.
Passengers were provided with hotel accommodation near Christchurch Airport before being flown to Sydney the following day.
Flight data showed that the aircraft had operated from Sydney to Queenstown earlier on Saturday before the incident. Two days earlier, the same aircraft had completed five flight sectors over about 13 hours of flying time.
Qantas had not provided further information on Tuesday about the cause of the engine incident.
Two Separate Events Involve Qantas Aircraft
The two incidents involved different aircraft and different circumstances.
The Sydney-Melbourne event involved smoke entering a stationary Airbus A220 from an external ground vehicle, with an engineering inspection finding no aircraft fault.
The Queenstown-Sydney event involved a Boeing 737 experiencing an engine-related problem in flight and diverting to Christchurch.
There is no indication in the reported information that the two incidents were connected.
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