The aviation security office said a final report would be released once its investigation was completed. However, it will recommend safety measures before if a “critical safety issue” is identified during the investigation.
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Qantas chief pilot Dick Tobiano said air traffic controllers had asked the plane to remain in a waiting pattern for longer than previously reported to QF933 pilots and that, in order to give priority on landing, they had to make a fuel call.
“The plane landed with 40 minutes of fuel in the tank, which is well above the minimum requirements. Our pilots followed the correct procedures and there were no safety issues with the flight,” it said in a statement. .
Tobiano said the pilots had loaded fuel based on pre-flight conditions in accordance with the requirements of Australia’s aviation safety regulator and Qantas ’fuel policy.
Aircraft fuel is one of the biggest costs for airlines. Qantas announced last month that it will reduce the number of domestic flights until March next year in response to high fuel prices.
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The President of the Australian and International Pilots Association, Tony Lucas, said regulations here and globally require a pilot to declare “Mayday fuel” if they are in a situation where they expect to land with less than its minimum fuel reserve.
Lucas, an A330 control and training captain, said Qantas pilots had “significant discretion” under civil aviation orders over the amount of fuel they ordered and would ask for “beyond the identified minimums.” by the company “to cover contingencies during flights.
“On some flights, the en route weather and the destination and air traffic control environments conspire to result in a situation where we end up in a‘ minimum fuel ’situation,” he said. “These rarely occur given the number of flights operated.”
Both the Civil Aviation Safety Authority and Airservices Australia, which manages the country’s airspace, approached for comment.
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