A flight from New Zealand bound for Melbourne has been forced to turn around twice.
Flight QF168 left Christchurch and was heading to the Victorian capital at 6.46am on Monday.
It was forced to turn around while flying over the Tasman Sea and landed back in Christchurch two hours later.
A Qantas spokesperson explained the reason for the first return.
“The pilots decided to return to Christchurch due to a problem with their radio,” he said.
“The plane was inspected by engineers and has since taken off normally.”
The plane took off before being forced to turn around a second time as it approached the Tasman Sea.
“Shortly after taking off again, an unusual smell was reported in the cabin,” the Qantas spokesperson said.
A Qantas flight bound for Melbourne from Christchurch in New Zealand had to return to the airport two hours after taking off due to a problem with its radio. It then returned to New Zealand for a second time after there was an “unusual smell” in the cabin (pictured, the Qantas plane, in orange, returning).
A flight from New Zealand bound for Melbourne has been forced to turn around twice (file image)
The pilots “followed standard procedures” and returned the plane to Christchurch, where it made a normal landing.
‘Engineers are inspecting the plane to determine the cause of the odor and passengers will be rebooked on flights via Auckland today.
“We apologize to customers for the inconvenience caused by these unrelated air returns and are working hard to get customers back as quickly as possible.”
The plane is 13 years old.