QANTAS: Emergency landing of QF1 in Baku Azerbaijan
QF1 pilots on an A380 flying from Singapore to London made an emergency landing in Baku, Azerbaijan in central Asia on Friday 23 December 2022.
The flight landed at Baku’s Heydar Aliyev international airport greeted by emergency services on the runway. Pilots had reported a code 7700 – indicating an onboard emergency.
The flight was about nine hours into its journey when, the aircraft made an 180-degree turn while flying over Georgian airspace.
Smoke was detected in the plane’s cargo hold according to some reports, unconfirmed by Qantas.
It is unknown how long the aircraft will remain in Baku.
According to The Guardian, a Qantas spokesperson stated they had yet to find evidence of smoke in the cargo hold.
“The aircraft intermittently alerted the pilots to the potential of smoke in the cargo hold. Although it was considered likely to be a sensor fault, the aircraft diverted to Baku as a safety precaution. Initial investigations have found no evidence of smoke in the cargo hold.
“We thank customers for their patience and we are working to get them on their way as quickly as possible.”
Qantas Spokesperson quoted in The Guardian
In a statement from Baku airport , the emergency landing request was due to smoke generated in the cargo compartment, but there were no injuries with the plane landing at 7:08 am local time with 356 passengers onboard.
Baku airport’ has a sufficiently long runways that can accommodate the A380 ‘superjumbo’‘.
It is not clear how long the plane will be on the ground in Baku.
2PAXfly Takeout
This is another timely reminder to wear your seatbelt when seated. Holding you close to your seat will protect you from the sort of injuries sustained on this flight, when unsecured passengers flew to the ceiling of the aircraft, and then came crashing down once the ‘drop’ ceased.
The hope will be that this is an anomaly – a ‘freak accident’ in casual parlance. If it is a systemic error either mechanical or electronic, then this is a larger concern for the airlines that fly Boeing Dreamliner 787 aircraft. Let’s hope it isn’t. If it is, it will pile on the woes to Boeing’s existing stack.
Not a good way for either Qantas or the passengers on board to start their Christmas period. At lease it appears everyone is safe.
Lets hope the delay is short, and passengers still make their destinations for Christmas
What did you say?