Qantas flight makes emergency landing in Auckland after fire alert

A Qantas flight from Sydney to Auckland was forced into an emergency landing at Auckland Airport on Friday after a fire warning was triggered on board.

The incident occurred when the aircraft’s front cargo hold fire indicator began flashing intermittently, prompting pilots to issue a mayday call and follow emergency protocols. Fire and Emergency New Zealand confirmed they were alerted at 11:05 am local time, with 16 fire trucks and multiple ambulance units dispatched to the airport.

Despite the alarm, the Boeing 737 landed safely just before midday, and all 156 passengers disembarked without injury. A preliminary inspection revealed there was no actual fire in the cargo hold, and no smoke was detected in the cabin. Qantas engineers will now carry out a full investigation to determine whether an electrical fault or system error triggered the false alert.

A Qantas spokesperson said the crew “followed standard procedures” and notified authorities of the warning, ensuring passenger safety at all times. Airport authorities later confirmed that operations had returned to normal, although some delays were expected.