KEY POINTS:
- Qantas has had several flights turn back due in a one-week period.
- Qantas executive Andrew David says the incidents were all separate issues and are being investigated.
- Qatas was recently ranked the world’s safest airline for 2023.
After a mayday call and a series of flight turnbacks in the space of a week, Qantas is reassuring customers there are "absolutely no issues" with safety.
The airline — which was named the world's safest in January by website AirlineRatings.com — and industry professionals say they remain confident in Qantas' standards, with the incidents all unrelated and set to be investigated.
So how significant are these incidents, and should we be concerned about Qantas planes, pilots or safety standards?
What happened?
On 18 January, the pilot of Qantas Flight (QF) 144, a Boeing 737 aircraft, shut down an engine and n during a flight from Auckland to Sydney.
The call was later degraded to a PAN (possible assistance needed) before the plane landed safely at Sydney airport about 3.30 pm.
On 19 January, flight QF101, a Boeing 737 bound for Nadi, Fiji, after an onboard "fault indicator" signalled a potential mechanical issue.
On 20 January a flight from Melbourne to Canberra turned back due to an issue with its flaps, and on the same day a flight from Melbourne to Sydney turned back with an indication of a minor engine problem.
On 22 January, a flight from Fiji to Sydney turned back due to fumes.
And on 23 January, a flight from Adelaide to Perth turned back mid-air due to incomplete paperwork.
All flights landed safely and there were no injuries to passengers.
What is a mayday call and how serious is it?
A mayday call is issued when a flight is in grave and imminent danger and needs immediate assistance, according to Airservices Australia, the federal agency responsible for ensuring safe air travel.
A turnback refers to a flight unexpectedly returning to land at its departure aerodrome after taking off, and usually takes place due to a fault or abnormal situation.
Former Qantas captain Richard Champion de Crespigny, who retired in 2020, told SBS News turnbacks are often made out of caution, while a mayday call is very rare and signifies an emergency.
Mr de Crespigny was the pilot-in-command of , when he and his crew managed to successfully execute an emergency landing.
Despite series of incidents in a one-week period, Qantas says there are "no issues" and passengers can be confident in the airline's safety standards. Source: AAP
"The air traffic control will also notify rescue services, fire services, police, ambulances ... operations can even be stopped at hospitals to free up capacity.
"These (PAN and MAYDAY calls) are the emergency notifications that pilots use when there's a problem. There’s lots of passengers’ lives at stake, so pilots take these calls very seriously, and I think the pilots did a great job."
The global aviation industry sees more than 10,000 turnbacks each year. It's understood the Qantas Group, comprised of Qantas and budget airline Jetstar, averages about 60.
Mark Hofmeyer, a Qantas first officer and vice president of the Australian and International Pilots Association (AIPA) said customers and passengers shouldn't be concerned about their safety when flying with the airline.
"A mayday call is rare, but turnbacks probably happen more than people think," he said.
"The fact that we've had a bunch of these things happen in a week is clearly not ideal ... but each pilot views the situation that they're in to make a safe outcome and a good decision."
'No issues at Qantas'
On Monday, Qantas domestic and international CEO Andrew David told Sydney's 2GB radio the incidents were unrelated, and pilots were trained to "err on the side of caution" if they observe any potential issues.
"There are absolutely no issues at Qantas ... but our pilots are trained to always err on the side of caution," he told host Ben Fordham.
"They were all completely different issues ... I'd be more worried about the airlines that don't turn back than the airlines that do in those situations."
Mr David said he was satisfied the Qantas fleet is in good condition despite numerous incidents taking place in a short period of time.
"We will investigate each and every one of them, we will find out what the issues were and we're addressing them," he said.
"When we look at our overall fleet health condition, we are very, very, very satisfied our fleet are in good, healthy condition."
Former Qantas captain Richard Champion de Crespigny said turnbacks are often made out of caution, while a mayday call is very rare and signifies an emergency. Source: AAP, AP / Wong Maye-E
"CASA actively reviews and monitors the aviation industry, using regular surveillance, frequent engagement with airlines to review incidents and trends and works closely with the ATSB to scrutinise safety reports, findings and data," the statement said.
Mr de Crespigny said he does not believe these incidents reflect present broader safety issues at Qantas, but are likely a coincidence.
"Airlines are complicated beasts that use extraordinary technology under the control of skilled professionals that keeping them operating safely ... these airlines are under constant surveillance by safety authorities," he said
"There's no massive problem with the airline ... the A380 (plane) has four million parts, and if each part has a reliability of 99.9 per cent, then every departure we would expect four thousand parts to fail … things go wrong all the time in aviation and that's why we have two licenced and experienced pilots in every cockpit.
"I don't believe there is any conspiracy or major issue here, I think this is just bad luck. The aircraft are safe. You're safe."
