Qantas 737 mayday after cargo hold alert, lands safely in Auckland

A Qantas Boeing 737 flying from Sydney to Auckland made a mayday call on Friday and landed safely at Auckland International Airport just before midday after pilots reported an intermittent cockpit warning of a possible fire in the aircraft cargo hold, authorities and the airline said. Emergency services met the aircraft on the tarmac and passengers disembarked without major incident.

The pilots declared the mayday about an hour before arrival after an indicator light for the cargo area began flashing, Qantas said. The declaration triggered priority handling and standard emergency procedures. Auckland Airport said emergency services were placed on standby for the inbound flight and that the airfield was returning to normal, though some departures and arrivals could face slight delays.

Sixteen fire trucks from the Auckland area responded to the incident and multiple ambulances were deployed, local authorities and media reported. Accounts differed on medical treatment: one report said two passengers received minor treatment from ambulance staff, while the Hato St John ambulance service later said its assistance was not required for anyone on board. Qantas reported there were 156...