A fire started on a Virgin flight on Monday as it approached Hobart, forcing the captain to issue an urgent call to air traffic control.
Flight VA1528 from Sydney to Hobart “landed safely at Hobart Airport … following a fire in an overhead locker during descent”, according to the company.
A fire broke out on a Virgin Australia flight on Monday.Credit: Luis Enrique Ascui
The plane was 10 minutes from landing when the incident occurred and it forced the pilot to declare “pan pan” to air traffic controllers, signifying an urgent but non-life threatening situation.
“The fire was extinguished by Virgin Australia cabin crew prior to landing,” a company spokesperson said.
Airservices Australia firefighters attended the aircraft after it landed and removed a bag from the overhead locker. Passengers then disembarked the aircraft normally, Virgin said.
“Safety is always our highest priority,” Virgin said. “We appreciate the swift and professional response of our flight and cabin crew, as well as the support of Airservices Australia firefighters.”
Airservices Australia provides aviation fire rescue and air traffic control services to the nation’s airports.
The “pan pan” call is not as severe as a “mayday” call situation.
In June, Virgin Australia was rated the fourth-safest airline in the world by AirlineRatings.com.
Air New Zealand was ranked No. 1, followed by Qantas, and Cathay Pacific, Qatar Airways and Emirates shared third spot.
The ranking evaluates serious incidents over the past two years, the age and size of the airline fleet and the rate of incidents.
Virgin, as part of its initial public offering strategy, has moved to simplify its fleet structure and use a wet-lease agreement to essentially outsource long-haul flying to part-owner Qatar Airways.