Qantas flight to Fiji from Sydney suffers midair mechanical issue, 2nd in 2 days

A Qantas Airways flight to Fiji turned back to Sydney with a possible mechanical problem, it was reported. This comes just a day after a Qantas jet issued a mayday alert due to engine trouble while it was en route from Auckland on Wednesday.

The flight returned to Sydney after pilots received a fault indicator about a potential mechanical issue, Qantas said in a statement, adding that the crew followed standard procedure and the aircraft landed normally. Qantas said engine shutdowns are rare, but pilots are trained to manage them safely and Boeing 737s can fly on one engine.

“While in-flight engine shutdowns are rare, and would naturally be concerning for passengers, our pilots are trained to manage them safely and aircraft are designed to fly for an extended period on one engine,” Qantas said.