Qantas flight forced to turn back to Sydney airport due to 'unusual smell'

A Qantas flight originally scheduled to fly to New Zealand was forced to return to Sydney shortly after takeoff due to an odor in the cabin. The flight, designated QF163, departed Sydney at approximately 6:40 PM yesterday evening, bound for Wellington. However, after about an hour of flight, the aircraft had to turn back and was given priority landing in Sydney.

The aircraft was carrying 144 passengers, and upon landing, emergency services immediately arrived on the scene as per standard procedure. A Qantas spokesperson stated that neither passengers nor pilots were affected, but as a precaution, one crew member was taken to the hospital for further medical examination. The spokesperson emphasized that there were no reports of smoke in the cabin.

A Qantas spokesperson stated, "A flight from Sydney to Wellington returned to Sydney after receiving reports of an odor in the cabin." He added, "The aircraft landed safely, and engineers will inspect it before it is returned to service."

The airline has arranged accommodation for the affected passengers and will transfer them to the next available flight. Qantas is actively addressing the matter to minimize the impact on passengers.