Qantas flight from Auckland to Sydney issues mayday call due to engine failure

A Qantas flight from Auckland has landed safely in Sydney after issuing a mayday call mid-flight due to a reported engine failure.

Qantas flight 144 approached Sydney airport on Wednesday afternoon and landed about 3.30pm.

The Boeing 737 left Auckland an hour late about 2.30pm local time. The aircraft is capable of landing with one engine.

Flight radar data shows the plane lost altitude and speed during the flight.

A Qantas spokesperson said the flight “experienced an issue with one of its engines about an hour from its destination”.

“It is now due to land in Sydney around 3.30pm and, in line with standard procedure, will be met by emergency services,” the airline said before the plane landed.

“While a mayday was initially issued, this has now been downgraded to a Pan (possible assistance needed). We will share more information about this incident once the aircraft is on the ground and has been assessed by our engineers.”

Authorities were otherwise silent on the specifics of the incident.

Guardian Australia contacted Qantas, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority and Airservices Australia.

Sign up to Guardian Australia’s Morning Mail

Our Australian morning briefing email breaks down the key national and international stories of the day and why they matter

Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Emergency crews were on standby at the airport when the plane landed. Fire, police and ambulance personnel were on site as a precautionary measure.

“NSW Ambulance paramedics are responding to a mayday alert issued by flight QF144 from Auckland,” NSW Ambulance said on Wednesday.