Mayday: Qantas Auckland flight issues emergency call over Tasman Sea

A Qantas plane has landed safely at Auckland Airport after issuing a mayday call over the Tasman Sea amid concerns about a potential fire in the cargo hold.

The mayday call from Qantas Flight 141 triggered a priority landing at Auckland Airport, where the plane landed safely as emergency responders waited on the tarmac.

New Zealand outlet Stuff reported that the mayday call – used by pilots to indicate grave and imminent danger – had been prompted by reports of a fire in the cargo hold of the Boeing 737 aircraft, which had 162 passengers on board.

The pilots received “intermittent indication” of a potential fire one hour before they were due to land in Auckland, triggering the emergency call.

“The pilots followed standard procedures and notified authorities through a mayday call,”