Bit of bedlam at SYD this morning with the control tower being evacuated because of fumes entering from the air con ducts.
Control tower shut for about 1hr and all flights diverted or running a holding pattern.
Services have now been resumed and holding NOTAM has been cancelled.
Looks like only 1 international flight diverted with UA’s
SFO-SYD flight diverted to Brisbane but after a quick fuel splash is on its way down to SYD
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Running with Qantas Dash-8 turned back with landing gear issues
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Well … the sad day we say farewell to the 747 construction line finally arrived. For me and I’m no expert at all, but the beloved Boeing 747 sits only behind the Concorde and B1. Classic design and reliable as hell. Enjoyed a number of long haul flights aboard this old girl…
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Sad day but time stands still for no one.
Only a handful of airlines still operate them if people want one last trip in the old girl but I’d think that will end in 2-3 years tops. They do make excellent freighters so we will see some in the skies for a few more years yet but I’d expect them to be gradually phased out from around 2026 onwards.
The front row upper deck seats were the absolute best if you were lucky enough to get one and have many fond memories of the 747 so a chapter of my childhood is closing
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The FedEx got down to 75ft prior to pulling out.
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While waiting to board his recent flight from Melbourne to New Zealand, a friend noted the condition of the Qantas plane in question…
A few cutbacks in the Qantas maintenance budget, eh? Ah well, I guess they have find the $$ to pay the shifty Irishman’s $5M bonus…
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That’s a garbage paint job. Looks like dodgy paint given it seems to have peeled off in massive sections
That’s a paint issue and needs to be taken out of action for several days minimum to be fixed.
Not a safety issue so rather than take the aircraft out of service for a few days minimum the decision was made to continue using it until its next maintenance check.
With aircraft at a shortage and loads full it’s a sensible decision
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Electrical fire at Melbourne Airport surrounds Qantas plane in smoke
Passengers have watched on as smoke from an electrical fire billowed into the air, shrouding their plane at Melbourne Airport.
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February 6, 2023 - 9:58AM
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Alan Joyce has spruiked the airline’s successful summer while defending its recent turnbacks.
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A Qantas plane was surrounded by smoke on the weekend after an electrical fire started on the ground at Melbourne Airport.
Video filmed by travellers inside the terminal and obtained by 9 News showed smoke billowing into the air.
Melbourne Airport confirmed to news.com.au the smoke came from “a small electrical fire in a ground equipment truck” at about 3pm on Sunday.
Travellers filmed the smoke from inside the terminal. Picture: 9 News
An electrical fire had started on an equipment truck. Picture: 9 News
An airport spokeswoman said fire crews attended the blaze at Terminal 1 and it was “quickly” brought under control.
“There was no impact to any operations at Melbourne Airport,” she added.
Terminal 1 is the Qantas domestic terminal.
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News.com.au understands the equipment truck where the fire started was an electrical supply truck.
There was said to be no disruptions to passengers or staff, and the aircraft was not damaged.
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I mean the fire wasn’t on the plane, so yeah, probably not a concern if it was in the air!
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Ha, definitely not normal but the aircraft is fine.
If the smoke or fumes have entered the air system then they will swap it out
QANTAS should sue the author and editor of that “article”.
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Might be Qantas GSE 
Ground Services Electrical???
Ground support equipment
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Ground support equipment .
I haven’t even bothered to find out if it was Qantas equipment, Melbourne Airport or other