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'Better to be safe than sorry': Qantas flight forced to land after technical issue

A Qantas A380 plane en route from Melbourne to Dubai has been forced to land in Sydney due to a mechanical issue.

A Qantas spokesman told AAP that engine vibrations were higher than normal, prompting the decision to land in Sydney where a replacement aircraft was available.

The plane was flying over central Australia when the pilot made the decision to turn back, circling above New South Wales for hours before landing in Sydney on Tuesday morning. Photo: 7 News Photo: 7News
The plane was flying over central Australia when the pilot made the decision to turn back, circling above New South Wales for hours before landing in Sydney on Tuesday morning. Photo: 7 News Photo: 7News

The problem was noticed hours into the trip when the plane was over Western Australia.

The flight, carrying 410 passengers, left Melbourne on Monday night and circled above Sydney for several hours before it touched down safely just before 7am on Tuesday.

One passenger described the ordeal as a "minor inconvenience".

"We were kept well informed and it's better to be safe then sorry," Bree Turner told Yahoo7.

The airline quoted engine trouble as the reason behind the emergency landing. Photo: Supplied
The airline quoted engine trouble as the reason behind the emergency landing. Photo: Supplied

The flight was in the air for eight hours, enough time to travel to Indonesia or Malaysia.

Passengers will depart on another flight later in the morning.

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News break – April 5