A Qantas flight carrying nearly 200 passengers was forced to return to Melbourne shortly after departing Sydney for Santiago, Chile, on Sunday night due to a mechanical issue. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, flight QF27, experienced the problem approximately 4.5 hours into its journey, beyond New Zealand.
The aircraft landed in Melbourne around 11 p.m. local time. Due to Sydney's airport curfew, the plane could not return to its origin city. Passengers who had anticipated arriving in Santiago were instead accommodated in Melbourne for the night.
Qantas stated that all affected passengers were provided with overnight hotel accommodations. A replacement aircraft is scheduled to depart Melbourne for Santiago at midday on Monday. Meanwhile, engineers will inspect the original aircraft to determine the cause of the mechanical problem.