Qantas Flight Safely Lands in Sydney From Auckland After Issuing Mayday Call

An arriving Qantas Airbus A330 aircraft taxis at Auckland international airport in Auckland, New Zealand on Feb. 28, 2022. David Rowland/AFP via Getty Images

A Qantas plane from Auckland has landed safely in Sydney after issuing a mayday call just over the Tasman Sea.

The aeroplane, which landed at its destination at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, experienced engine problems an hour away from Sydney Airport and reported the loss of one of its two engines.

“Qantas Flight 144, a 737 flying from Auckland to Sydney, experienced an issue with one of its engines about an hour from its destination,” Qantas said in a statement.

“While a mayday was initially issued, this has now been downgraded to a PAN (possible assistance needed).”

“We will share more information about this incident once the aircraft is on the ground and has been assessed by our engineers.”

While “inflight engine shutdowns” are rare and concerning for passengers, pilots are trained “to manage them safely and aircraft are designed to fly for an extended period on one engine,” Qantas said.

It said all 145 passengers disembarked the aircraft normally.

Passengers onboard were informed about the engine problems when they landed while some reported that they heard a loud “bang” sound.

A passenger, Leslie Spring, told Nine News she wasn’t aware of any noticeable issues during the flight and praised the staff’s professionalism.

“[The staff were] brilliant, if they hadn’t told us we wouldn’t have known,” Spring said.

“[Staff] just said there would be a fire crew just in case, reassuring to know they were on the ball.”

Passenger Sandika McAuley said, “I kind of heard the little bang and then a bit of turbulence, and we just thought okay, this is a bit weird.”

“But we didn’t really know anything until we landed, then we got told that there was a mayday call and the engine failed.”

James Mearon said he didn’t realise how serious the situation was until he saw cameras waiting for passengers outside the terminal.

“Yeah it definitely was scary,” he said.

Passenger Fiona Dunne told AAP that the dysfunctioning air conditioning was one of the main issues.

“The aircon was gone so everyone was just frustrated and sweaty, I don’t think there was that much panic,” she said.

Boeing 737s is capable of flying on one engine but any engine loss is considered very serious.

A mayday call is an international distress signal used by ships and aircraft to indicate an aircraft is in grave and imminent danger and needs immediate assistance.

Once the call is made controllers alert aviation rescue, firefighting and emergency services with details on how to respond. They also provide assistance to pilots.

“Qantas has never had a passenger lost on a jet aircraft in its history," aviation expert Neil Hansford told Sky News.

“What you may well find when the aircraft lands is that it may be prudence, rather than an uncontrollable situation.”

Qantas is rated as one of the world’s safest airlines.

The news emerged only 3 days following the Yeti Airlines plane crash in Nepal, which killed at least 68 people, among whom was an Australian man.

The cause for the crash remains unknown, with clear weather reported, but the plane’s black boxes have been located.

The accident is the nation’s deadliest since 1992 when a Pakistan International Airlines Airbus A300 crashed into a hillside, killing 167 people.

Since Christmas, the aviation industry has been struggling to meet increased demand for travel due to staff shortages and skyrocketing fuel prices.

Workforce shortages have reportedly led to a reduction in the number of flights airlines were willing to offer which contributed to soaring prices and significant delays.

AAP contributed to this report.