A Qantas flight bound for Brisbane has made an emergency landing in Sydney after running into suspected engine troubles.
QF520 departed Sydney Airport at about 12.15pm on Friday but returned and landed safely at about 1pm.
The captain told passengers there was a major problem with the right engine, according to the ABC, but Qantas said the return was due to a “suspected engine failure”.
“After circling for a short period of time, the aircraft landed safely at Sydney Airport,” Qantas said in a statement.
Qantas acknowledged the incident would have been “distressing” for passengers and said it would investigate what caused “the engine issue”.
A Sydney Airport spokesperson said the departure of the flight coincided with a grass fire on the runway, which has since been brought under control.
It has not been confirmed whether it was sparked by the aircraft but an investigation is underway.
“With the safe arrival of the aircraft, Sydney Airport’s priority is to conduct a full inspection of its parallel runway and to return it to service as quickly as possible,” the Sydney Airport spokesperson said in a statement.
“Sydney Airport’s main runway is operational, however, passengers should also expect some delays.”
These anticipated delays come after an Australia-wide outage at international airport immigration gates, which heavily affected Melbourne and Sydney airports.
The Australian Border Force said the issue was resolved at about midday but the cause remains under investigation.
