A Virgin Australia flight experienced a fire in an overhead locker just ten minutes before landing on Monday, prompting the pilot to issue a “pan pan” distress call to air traffic control. This declaration signifies an urgent situation that is not immediately life-threatening.
Cabin crew successfully extinguished the fire before the aircraft touched down. Upon landing, firefighters from Airservices Australia met the plane and removed a bag from the overhead compartment. Passengers were able to disembark the aircraft without incident, according to Virgin Australia.
“Safety is always our highest priority,” a Virgin Australia spokesperson stated. “We appreciate the swift and professional response of our flight and cabin crew, as well as the support of Airservices Australia firefighters.” Airservices Australia is responsible for providing aviation fire rescue and air traffic control services at Australian airports.
The “pan pan” call is used to indicate a less severe emergency than a “mayday” call.
This incident comes after Virgin Australia was recognized for its safety record, being ranked as the fourth-safest airline globally by AirlineRatings.com in June.The top rankings were held by air New Zealand, followed by Qantas, with Cathay Pacific, Qatar airways, and Emirates sharing third place. These rankings are determined by evaluating serious incidents over the preceding two years,the age and size of an airline’s fleet,and its incident rate.
in line with its initial public offering strategy, Virgin Australia has been streamlining its fleet and utilizing a wet-lease agreement to delegate long-haul flights to its part-owner, Qatar Airways.
