Qantas qf122: Queenstown to Sydney flight diverted over suspected engine issues

Engine issues shortly after take off have forced a Sydney-bound Qantas flight back to Christchurch on Saturday morning.

Flight number QF122 departed Queenstown, New Zealand, heading towards Sydney just after 12.05pm AWST before swiftly being redirected to Christchurch after the crew reported a suspected engine issue.

This prompted the pilots to avoid crossing the Tasman Sea and divert back to Christchurch, landing safely just 50 minutes later.

Bystanders reported seeing flames coming from the engine.

A Qantas spokesperson said its pilots are trained to manage situations like this.

“One of our flights to Sydney experienced a suspected engine issue after take-off from Queenstown this afternoon and the aircraft diverted to Christchurch,” a Qantas spokesperson said.

“Our pilots are highly trained to manage situations like this and the aircraft landed safely.

“We know this would have been a distressing experience for passengers and will be contacting all customers to provide support.”

The West Australian understands that customers have since been provided accommodation, and will be put on alternate flights.

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