Passengers forced to evacuate from an overheating Qantas plane via slides after the flight is diverted to Cairns
- Passengers on the flight bound for Brisbane were evacuated on Sunday evening
- Flight QF58 was then assessed by airport crews on the tarmac at Cairns Airport
- Plane tried to take off again but then found to be overheating and evacuated
- Those on-board flight used slides on the plane's right hand side to get out
Passengers on a Qantas flight bound for Brisbane were evacuated on Sunday evening after the plane's air conditioning issues forced pilots to divert to Cairns.
Flight QF58 was assessed by airport crews on the tarmac and was trying to take off again when its engine started overheating, a Qantas spokesman said.
Those on-board the flight were evacuated using slides on the plane's right hand side and will be staying overnight in Cairns while onward travel is arranged.
Passengers on a Qantas flight bound for Brisbane were evacuated on Sunday evening after the plane had air conditioning issues and was forced to divert to Cairns (pictured Qantas 737 - same model as the evacuated plane)
Qantas said there was no fire on board the aircraft.
'The captain told passengers they were diverting to Cairns due to an air-conditioning issue,' a spokesman for the airline said.
While the plane was on the ground, the captain evacuated the plane in the interest of safety.
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Cairns Airport received the alarm for the diverted plane at 5.45pm and staff were on standby to attend to the plane when it landed, an airport spokesman said.
'There were no injuries or risk to the passengers or crew, all safety guidelines were followed,' the spokesman said.
The wife of a passenger on the plane said her husband got off the plane at Cairns before boarding again.
Cairns Airport (pictured) received the alarm for the diverted plane at 5.45pm and staff were on standby to attend to the plane when it landed, an airport spokesman said
'He was evacuated via slipper slide with no belongings,' she said.
Qantas have said they will be inspecting the aircraft to understand what happened.
'We thank the crew for their professionalism in dealing with this issue and passengers for their understanding,' the airline said in a statement.
