Qantas cleaning cancels flight after passenger confirmed with coronavirus

A Qantas A380 carried a first class passenger with coronavirus, with cabin crew now in isolation as the aircraft is cleaned.

Passengers disembark in Darwin after being airlifted from the Diamond Princess cruise ship. Picture: Glenn Campbell

Qantas cancelled its Wednesday afternoon service from Sydney to London via Singapore to fully clean the A380 aircraft used following confirmation it carried a first class passenger with coronavirus.

Another Qantas flight from Singapore to Sydney, using an A330 was also identified by NSW Health as transporting a man who tested positive for coronavirus.

It is understood cabin crew who had direct contact with the passengers on each flight have been placed into self-isolation.

A Qantas spokesman said customers affected by the cancellation of QF1 would be moved to the next available flight.

“While Qantas Medical has assessed the risk as extremely low, we are doing some additional cleaning of those aircraft as a precaution,” the spokesman said.

“This is in addition to the normal clean that takes place after each international flight.”

The airline has some experience in deep cleaning its aircraft after conducting several “rescue” flights for Australians stranded in Wuhan, and on the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan.

Air New Zealand was also cleaning aircraft after confirmation a passenger who flew from Singapore to Auckland, who then undertook two domestic flights, tested positive to Covid-19.

An airline spokesman said crew who came into contact with the passenger would be stood down until they were cleared of the virus.

An increasing number of carriers have been caught up in the outbreak with Virgin Australia working with the Tasmanian Department of Health after learning a passenger on a Melbourne-Launceston flight had coronavirus.

The man was travelling alone and had arrived in Melbourne from Iran via Malaysia.

“Based on medical advice we have received, the risk of contracting coronavirus is low for other passengers who travelled on this aircraft,” said a Virgin Australia spokeswoman.

“However, the Tasmanian Department of Health will be working closely with these passengers on any concerns and we have taken the added measure of thoroughly cleaning this aircraft.”