Fire erupts at Melbourne Airport terminal 1, causing evacuations and major flight delays
A major Aussie airport was thrown into chaos on Friday night after a fire broke out, causing lengthy delays as authorities investigate the cause.
Melbourne Airport was thrown into chaos on Friday night after a fire broke out in Terminal 1, forcing the evacuation of more than 1500 passengers and leaving planes stranded on the tarmac.
The blaze was reported just after 7pm, prompting an immediate response from Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) and the airport’s Aviation Firefighting and Rescue Services.
The fire was brought under control within about 25 minutes.
An FRV spokesperson confirmed the small fire was located and contained quickly.
A Melbourne Airport spokesperson said the blaze did not spread to other terminals.
“Emergency services completed a full assessment of the terminal and, when it was deemed safe, we worked to support passengers to return to the terminal and recommence operations,” the spokesperson said.
“The safety of passengers and staff was our top priority throughout this incident, and we appreciate the patience and cooperation shown by travellers.
“Passengers travelling on Qantas domestic services are advised to check directly with the airline for the latest updates on their flight.”
Passengers faced significant disruptions, with some waiting up to five hours to secure replacement flights or accommodation.
One man told the ABC it was the culmination of a day of travel chaos.
“I was booked on a flight with Virgin and they cancelled, so they very kindly re-booked me with Qantas for this evening, and now it’s been cancelled,” he said.
“Apparently, I finally have a flight with Jetstar back to Launceston tomorrow morning at 7.20am.”
Another passenger described being stuck on a plane on the tarmac for two-and-a-half hours due to the fire.
“It’s very frustrating when no-one knows what’s happening, and obviously it’s very hard with a baby,” she said.
“We actually had a flight to catch, and we missed it because of the incident.”
By 9pm, 11 planes were queued up on the tarmac, with Qantas passengers recently landed in Melbourne stranded while the scene was secured.
Authorities said no one was injured and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Meanwhile, Australian airports are facing further chaos after Airbus issued a global warning affecting around 6000 A320 aircraft.
Jetstar has confirmed some flights out of Sydney and Melbourne were cancelled on Saturday morning as the planes undergo precautionary software updates.
“Jetstar is impacted by an Airbus fleet software issue that’s affecting all A320 family operators globally,” a Jetstar spokesperson said, adding the airline is working to get affected passengers on their way as quickly as possible.
Originally published as Fire erupts at Melbourne Airport terminal 1, causing evacuations and major flight delays
