Qantas Flight Diverted After Flames Spotted Coming from Engine

A Qantas Boeing 737-800 flight from Queenstown to Sydney was diverted after flames were spotted coming from its left engine mid-air.

The aircraft, which carried around 160 passengers, had departed Queenstown just before 3:30 pm and was scheduled to land in Sydney at 4:50 pm.

However, the pilots suspected an engine issue and diverted the plane to Christchurch, where it landed safely.

The exact cause of the incident remains under investigation by authorities, with New Zealand's Civil Aviation Authority initially attributing it to a suspected bird strike before stating that the cause is still unknown.