No end in sight to Qantas’ flight break down woes

SYDNEY - Qantas has been forced into a controversy yet again after passengers were removed from one of its planes, bound for Sydney, this morning because it reportedly suffered a brake problem.

The flight was due to leave Melbourne at 6.30am (AEDT).

According to the Courier Mail, 208 passengers waited for 50 minutes on the tarmac at Melbourne Airport as engineers assessed the plane.

The latest problem has come just two days after a stray rock-climbing rope jammed in the baggage conveyor, when some passengers were told to search through trolleys to find their lost bags.

The paper quoted a Qantas spokeswoman as saying that the passengers were being put on other flights, and that “the plane will be in service this afternoon.”

“This is a really minor issue. I don’t have the statistics on how often this kind of thing happens,” she added.

The spokeswoman also stated that travellers should not worry about flying with Qantas, adding: “We will always put safety before schedule.”

Qantas has employed couriers to return up to 400 items of luggage to passengers after Sunday’s baggage malfunction at Melbourne Airport, the paper said.

Yesterday, another Boeing 737 domestic flight from Adelaide to Sydney was cancelled because of a technical problem related to an engine valve. (ANI)