In a shocking turn of events, a South Africa-bound Qantas flight had to make a U-turn after it almost reached Antarctica. The incident happened on December 25, 2024, when the flight had already traveled more than four hours. The reason behind the flight rerouting to its origin was a mechanical issue.
However, when it reached Sydney after nine hours, emergency crews immediately rushed to the aircraft on the tarmac. Qantas Flight QF63, an Airbus A380, departed Sydney for Johannesburg before 10 a.m. but returned by 7:30 p.m. The incident shocked netizens, who shared some interesting and quirky comments and suggestions. Taking to X, one person wrote:
“Restricted airspace to Santa only.”
Netizens appeared to be in a holiday mood, as many had reactions invoking sarcasm.
“Santa was in the way,” another X user commented.
“Didnt want to fly over the edge i guess,” a netizen remarked.
“We’re never going to hear the end of this from the Flat Earthers,” an online commented pointed out.
Social media users poked fun at the airlines as they claimed the Qantas flight was out for some sightseeing. A section of X users empathized with the passengers.
“The memories of Mt Erebus still haunt me from way back then,” a social media user shared.
“Is Samuel l Jackson onboard,” an X user asked.
“Obviously really pleased everyone is okay, but imagine being on a plane for 9+ hours only to end up back where you started,” an internet user noted.
“Qantas does "sightseeing" flights to Antarctica and retour. W/o landing,” an online user mocked.
The Qantas Flight was flown back to get checked by engineers
As per Daily Mail, a Qantas spokesperson stated that the pilots adhered to standard procedures and returned to Sydney for the Qantas Flight to undergo engineering checks. Passengers were rescheduled on a flight the following morning, and the spokesperson was grateful for their patience and understanding.
Nonetheless, everybody on the flight was safe, and no injuries were reported. In other news, another Qantas Flight from Los Angeles to Melbourne faced significant delays. Originally scheduled for December 22, 2024, at 8:30 p.m., the flight remained on the runway for six hours.
Podcaster Will Schofield shared several X posts regarding the matter on December 24, 2024. In one post, he wrote:
“Several passengers have been stranded at LAX for over 48 hours. Qantas communication exceptionally poor, at this stage it still isn’t clear how ~300 passengers will return to Aus. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day both missed.”
In another post, he stated:
“QF94 was scheduled to leave LA bound for Melbourne on 22 December at 8:30pm. Qantas boarded all customers and held them on the flight for 6 hours until eventually disembarking everyone at 2am.”
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The Qantas flight was rescheduled for December 23, 2024, at 10:30 p.m., but it was canceled again due to ongoing engineering issues, leaving many passengers stranded at LAX for over 48 hours.
Will criticized Qantas, claiming the airline knew the flight would not depart but still informed passengers of a 90-minute delay hours earlier. He also noted that none of the crew appeared at the gate, questioning the airline's commitment to its "Spirit of Australia" slogan.
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