A Qantas flight carrying three Liberal politicians has been forced to make a premature landing after the cabin began filling with smoke following a mid-air emergency.Â
Flight QF1972, bound for Canberra, turned back shortly after taking off from Adelaide Airport about 6.10am and landed safely around ten minutes later.
Senator Leah Blyth who was travelling with two macolleagues to a crucial agenda-setting meeting on net zero, said the cabin began filling with smoke before the premature landing.Â
‘I’ve never had a cabin fill with smoke quite like that before,’Â Ms Blyth told radio station FIVEAA.
‘Hats off to the Qantas staff who were cool calm and collected and got us back on the ground safely.’
A Qantas spokesperson confirmed a ‘technical issue’ was behind the incident.Â
The South Australian Senator said her travel plans remain uncertain ahead of the much-anticipated meeting.
‘Hopefully I will still get to Canberra on time for a very important party meeting,’ she said.
Flight QF-1972 landed safely in Adelaide shortly before 6.30am on Wednesday, some ten minutes after taking off from the airport
‘We were joking saying the net zero debate has gone up in smoke.’
A spokesperson for the airline confirmed the flight landed safely and engineers will check the aircraft today.Â
‘All customers on board have since been put onto alternative flights,’ they said.
‘Our pilots are highly trained to handle situations like this and the aircraft landed safely after the appropriate procedures were conducted.’
Flight tracking data shows the aircraft turned back over St Vincent Gulf, west of McLaren Vale, before returning to Adelaide.Â
Liberals MPs and senators will gather in Canberra at midday to settle their position on whether to dump net zero or retain some elements of the emissions target.Â
The senior Coalition party is hoping to land on a firm position ahead of a special meeting with members of the Nationals party on Sunday.
Senator Blyth, who opposes net zero, said she is uncertain where her party will land following today’s meeting.Â
Early reports suggest the flight, originally bound for Canberra, was aborted after the cabin began to fill with smoke
‘I think all of my colleagues are absolutely in favour of us doing our bit and to certainly have the minimal impact that we can on our natural environment,’ she told ABC Radio National Breakfast. Â
Ms Blyth said she would continue to support embattled Opposition leader Sussan Ley regardless of the outcome, but wouldn’t say whether she would remain in the Shadow Ministry should the vote not go her way.Â
‘I don’t want to get into hypotheticals, but if things change, I would have that discussion with the leader,’ she said.
‘But, you know, as it stands now, there’s a policy discussion that we’re having, and I have full confidence in our leader and Sussan.’
More to come.
Share or comment on this article:
Emergency on a Qantas flight carrying three Liberal politicians