New scare dents Qantas’ ‘safest airline’

Sydney-Tokyo flight grounded due to a hydraulic problem

CANBERRA: An embarrassing series of mechanical problems continues to plague Qantas, which has grounded a Tokyo-bound jet at the last minute so it can change a faulty part. Passengers have been told to wait at Sydney Airport while the part is replaced and tested.

A Qantas spokeswoman said the flight was delayed by nearly three hours this morning due to “a technical issue”. “This was detected during routine pre-flight inspections… (and) was quickly rectified and there were no safety implications at any time. We regret any inconvenience this short delay may have caused,” the spokeswoman said.

It is the fourth safety issue on a Qantas flight in the last 10 days. This morning, it was reported that the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, the aviation watchdog, had formed a special team to investigate Qantas amid growing public concern the airline’s safety standards may have slipped.

However the airline’s engineering boss David Cox has said the CASA probe would allow Qantas to prove that some incidents are just part of running a major airline. Outgoing airline chief Geoff Dixon has said there are no “systemic problems” with the carrier.

On Sunday, the captain of a Qantas 767 flight made an emergency landing at Sydney Airport after discovering a hydraulic fluid leak. One passenger has told NEWS.com.au that those on board joked about being guest stars on Air Crash Investigations — until a steward started shouting.