QF1503 turnback 15 December 2024

[edd91]

Does anyone know why VH-X4E flying Sydney to Hobart QF1503 turned back to Sydney over the NSW/Vic border: Live Flight Tracker - Real-Time Flight Tracker Map | Flightradar24 ?

It then departed again 2 hours later. I haven't seen any news or online comments?

 

[jpp42]

Does anyone know why VH-X4E flying Sydney to Hobart QF1503 turned back to Sydney over the NSW/Vic border: Live Flight Tracker - Real-Time Flight Tracker Map | Flightradar24 ?

It then departed again 2 hours later. I haven't seen any news or online comments?

On balance, it's not a newsworthy event most likely. There are numerous innocuous warnings or minor failures that might result in such a turnback out of an abundance of caution. This, coupled with the fact that returning to a major base (instead of continuing to an outstation), is much more advantageous to the airline. If they had continued and there is a fault that can't be easily fixed in Hobart, they might have to fly the plane back empty, or fly parts and/or engineers there, taking much more time and money than fixing it back at the engineering base at Sydney. Yes, it disrupted passengers to a degree, but if it was fixed in only 2 hours without cancellations, most people would still still get to their destination safely on the same day (including subsequent flights from that same plane) - overall sounds like a win.