Qantas Unites Air New Zealand, Virgin Australia, and More to Face Life-Threatening Crises in Shocking Emergency Landings: What You Need to Know

Published on December 24, 2025

Australia and New Zealand’s commercial aviation sector is tightly regulated, and transport safety authorities treat every in‑flight issue seriously. Between January 2022 and November 2025, a series of emergency landings occurred across the two nations. These incidents involved issues ranging from fuel reserves and engine failures to hydraulic problems, security concerns and fires. The following chronology summarises what happened, why, and how authorities and airline crews responded.

2022 – Fuel Mayday for Qantas flight QF933

On 18 July 2022 a Qantas Boeing 737‑800 operating flight QF933 from Brisbane to Perth encountered extended holding delays on its approach to Perth. Air traffic control had warned the crew of a 10‑minute delay; however, while holding, the pilots were told the delay would extend to 16 minutes. After 10 minutes of circling, the crew requested a priority landing but were advised that they would need to declare a fuel mayday. The pilots made the mayday call and were cleared ahead of other aircraft. Qantas later explained that the aircraft carried a 10 percent contingency fuel load and landed with 40 minutes of fuel remaining—well above the minimum requirement[1]. Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) guidelines require pilots to declare a fuel emergency when predicted usable fuel is less than the fixed reserve, and Qantas’ chief pilot emphasised that the crew followed the correct procedures and at no stage was the flight unsafe[2].

2023 – Engine troubles and precautionary returns

Qantas flight QF144 (17 January 2023) was flying from Auckland to Sydney when passengers heard a loud bang. The Boeing 737‑800 suffered an engine malfunction over the Tasman Sea and the pilots issued a mayday call. The call was later downgraded to a “PAN” (possible assistance needed), and the aircraft landed safely at Sydney Airport where emergency services were on standby. Qantas reported that one engine had a problem but the aircraft was designed to fly on a single engine; there were no injuries[3].

Two days later, Qantas flight QF101 from Sydney to Fiji turned back to Sydney due to a fault indicator that suggested a potential mechanical issue. The flight circled for about two hours before landing. Qantas clarified that it was not an emergency but a precautionary return and emphasised that turning back is part of the airline’s conservative safety culture[4].

On 24 January 2023, flight QF1608 from Perth to Kalgoorlie returned to Perth after a minor mechanical issue. Qantas noted that the flight could have continued but chose to return to an airport with engineering support; this was one of several turn‑backs during the month, and the airline stressed that air turn‑backs are a safeguard built into the aviation system[5].

2023 – Air New Zealand hydraulic issue

A domestic Air New Zealand flight from Queenstown to Auckland on 10 November 2023 reported a suspected hydraulic problem on approach. Emergency services gathered on standby but the flight landed safely at 11:07 am and taxied to the gate. Police later said the aircraft might have had difficulty landing, but it touched down normally. A passenger described calm conditions on board and said there was no panic[6]. Hydraulic problems can affect braking and steering, so the airline followed procedures to ensure a safe landing.

2024 – Engine fires, bird strike and security incidents

On 25 March 2024, Qantas flight QF781 from Melbourne to Perth experienced a loud bang soon after take‑off; the pilots declared a PAN call after one of the Airbus A330’s engines shut down. Passengers said the sudden noise was unsettling, but the aircraft landed safely at Perth at 9:37 pm. Qantas explained that the airframe can fly on one engine and that the crew followed established procedures[7].

A dramatic incident occurred on 17 June 2024 when Virgin Australia flight VA148 departed Queenstown for Melbourne. Shortly after take‑off the Boeing 737‑800’s left engine caught fire due to a suspected bird strike. Passengers saw flames and heard a series of loud bangs. The crew shut down the affected engine and diverted the flight to Invercargill, where it landed safely. The Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand later said bird strikes occur in roughly four out of every 10,000 flights and that pilots are trained to handle them[8].

On 19 October 2024, Air New Zealand flight NZ247 from Wellington to Sydney landed at Sydney and was detained on the runway because of a “security incident”. Australian Federal Police boarded the plane and passengers were held until authorities completed security checks. The airline said standard procedures were followed and emphasised there was no threat to passengers or the broader community[9].

Two months later, on 8 November 2024, Qantas flight QF520 from Sydney to Brisbane suffered a contained engine failure shortly after take‑off. The Boeing 737‑800 circled for a short period then returned to Sydney. Passengers reported a loud bang and a shudder from one engine. Qantas engineers later concluded that a high‑pressure turbine failure caused the engine to shut down; the crew followed emergency procedures and the plane landed safely[10]. The incident also sparked a grass fire near the runway that was quickly extinguished[11].

Another significant event occurred on 1 December 2024 when Air New Zealand flight NZ249 from Wellington to Sydney experienced an engine problem about 40 minutes into the flight. Pilots heard a loud clicking sound from a fire‑switch panel and noticed the number two engine reducing thrust. They shut down the engine, declared a mayday and diverted the Airbus A320 to Auckland, where it landed safely[12]. A Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) report later found that a defective fire‑switch mechanism had popped out and shut off the fuel supply[13]. The report noted that the switch was designed to arm the fire extinguisher system and had not been touched by the pilots. TAIC said similar faults had occurred on other aircraft and recommended replacing panels showing signs of damage[14].

2025 – Fires, hydraulics and brake problems

On 21 July 2025, a Virgin Australia Boeing 737‑800 travelling from Sydney to Hobart faced a fire in an overhead locker caused by a portable power bank. About 10 minutes before landing, cabin crew heard a hissing noise and saw flames and white smoke. They opened the locker, found a backpack on fire and extinguished it by pouring water over the bag[15]. The aircraft landed safely and firefighters removed the burnt battery. An Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) investigation concluded that the lithium‑ion power bank had undergone thermal runaway[16]. It was the first recorded case of a power bank catching fire on an Australian flight[17]. The ATSB recommended that airlines revise policies on carrying spare batteries. In response, Virgin Australia banned passengers from storing power banks in overhead lockers and required them to be kept in seat pockets or carried in hand[18].

On 8 October 2025, a Rex Airlines Saab 340 (flight ZL4818) was taking off from Adelaide for Broken Hill when its left engine caught fire. The crew rejected the take‑off, shut down the engine and safely evacuated passengers on the runway. Rex Airlines later explained that there was no sustained fire; unburnt fuel briefly ignited before being extinguished. The runway was closed for about 20 minutes while emergency services responded, and the ATSB began an investigation[19].

11 November 2025 saw Qantas flight QF1972 from Adelaide to Canberra return to Adelaide after crew noticed smoke in the cabin. The pilots declared a PAN call and the Boeing 717 landed safely. Passengers, including state politicians, said they smelled a strange odour and saw light smoke but praised the crew’s professionalism[20]. Qantas said its engineers would inspect the aircraft and reiterated that pilots are trained to handle such situations.

On 6 November 2025, another Virgin Australia incident occurred when flight VA454 from Darwin landed in Brisbane. Shortly after touchdown, a brake fire erupted on the Boeing 737’s landing gear. Firefighters quickly extinguished the blaze and all 180 passengers and crew disembarked normally. Virgin Australia thanked the crew and airport fire service and said safety remained its highest priority[21]. An aviation expert later explained that brake fires can result from overheating or sticking brakes; while not common, airport firefighters are trained to deal with them and they are usually contained quickly[22].

24 October 2025 brought another Air New Zealand hydraulic issue. Flight NZ221 from Christchurch to Sydney reported a technical problem, suspected to involve the aircraft’s steering or hydraulics, and made an emergency landing at Sydney. Emergency services were on standby and the plane landed safely around 9 am. Passengers were kept on board for about an hour. Air New Zealand’s chief safety and risk officer said the aircraft landed safely and engineers would inspect it[23]. Passengers described being calm, and many were unaware of the potential problem[24].

Wider lessons and safety culture

These incidents reveal the robustness of aviation safety in Australia and New Zealand. In each case, flight crews followed established procedures—whether declaring a mayday to secure a priority landing, shutting down an engine and diverting, or extinguishing fires with onboard equipment. Regulators such as the ATSB, TAIC and Civil Aviation Authority investigated the causes, and airlines updated policies when necessary. The introduction of new rules for carrying lithium‑ion batteries and the emphasis on contingency fuel planning demonstrate how lessons from incidents are rapidly incorporated into standard practice. While the frequency of emergency landings increased in this period, the safe outcomes of each event illustrate the effectiveness of training, engineering redundancy and emergency response coordination. Passengers were understandably shaken by loud bangs, smoke or flames, but there were no fatalities or serious injuries. These events underscore that while airborne emergencies will always occur, transparency, rigorous investigation and adherence to procedures ensure that aviation across Australia and New Zealand remains among the safest in the world.

Reference List

1. Smart Aviation Asia‑Pacific – Qantas Airways Boeing 737 Declares Mayday Fuel[1].
2. Smart Aviation Asia‑Pacific – Contingency fuel requirements and statements from CASA and Qantas[2].
3. ABC News – Qantas passengers hear bang as flight makes emergency landing[3].
4. ABC News – Qantas flight to Fiji returns after mid‑air issue[4].
5. ABC News – Qantas jet returns to Perth after mechanical issue[5].
6. 1News New Zealand – Suspected hydraulic issue leads to Air New Zealand emergency landing[6].
7. ABC News – Qantas plane suffers engine failure en route to Perth[7].
8. ABC News – Virgin flight from Queenstown diverted after bird strike[8].
9. ABC News – Air New Zealand flight held on Sydney runway over security incident[9].
10. ABC News – Engine failure forces Qantas jet to return to Sydney; cause identified as turbine failure[10] and grass‑fire details[11].
11. RNZ – Defective switch caused Air NZ A320 emergency landing in Auckland[12][13][14].
12. ABC News – Safety report released into power bank fire on Virgin flight to Hobart[15][16][17][18].
13. ABC News – Rex flight aborts take‑off after engine fire[19].
14. ABC News – Qantas flight returns after smoke fills cabin[20].
15. ABC News – Brake fire on Virgin Australia flight after landing in Brisbane[21][22].
16. The New Daily – Air New Zealand jet makes emergency landing at Sydney due to suspected hydraulic problem[23][24].