Fire alarm triggered for Qantas diversion

AIRPORT firefighers were called out after an international flight was forced to make an unscheduled stop in Cairns.

According to a Cairns Airport spokeswoman, the alarm was triggered at 5.45pm for a Qantas Boeing 737 that had been diverted to Cairns on a flight from Port Moresby to Brisbane.

“Everyone at the airport was on standby and ready to receive the plane, which had been diverted due to overheating in the engine,” she said.

“Crews checked out the aircraft and found there was still overheating, so the passengers were evacuated. There were no injuries or risk to the passengers or crew, all safety guidelines were followed.”

Qantas corporate communciation senior manager Stephen Moynihan said passengers from flight QF58 would stay overnight in Cairns while the airline arranged onward travel.

“Our technical teams will be inspecting the aircraft thoroughly to understand what occurred,” he said.

“The safety of our passengers and crew is always our highest priority.”