Photo: Calvin Samuel / RNZ
Emergency services rushed to Auckland Airport after the pilot of an inbound Qantas flight issued a mayday call over the Tasman.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand said it had been alerted to an emergency at 11.05 on Friday morning, having received reports the flight from Sydney had a fire on board.
Sixteen fire trucks from the Auckland area responded to the incident .
In a statement, Qantas said pilots on Flight 141 were receiving “intermitent indication about potential fire in the cargo hold”.
“The pilots followed standard procedures and notified authorities through a mayday call.”
Ambulances were on standby near the tarmac as the Boeing 737 landed safely before midday and passengers disembarked.
“Preliminary investigations report that there was no fire in the front cargo hold,” the airline said in its statement.
“Our engineers will inspect the aircraft to determine the cause.”
Emergency services at Auckland International Airport.
Photo: Calvin Samuel / RNZ
The airfield was returning to normal about midday, but Auckland Airport warned there could be some slight delays for departing and arriving flights into the afternoon.
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.