Qantas plane is left stuck on the runway for two hours after a catering truck broke down in front of it
- Flight QF938 to Brisbane was supposed to leave just after 1pm
- But it was hemmed in behind a broken down catering truck
Passengers were left stranded when a Qantas flight was delayed for hours on Tuesday after it was stuck behind a broken down truck in Perth Airport.
Flight QF938 to Brisbane was supposed to leave just after 1pm (WA time) but the plane couldn’t move due to the catering truck blocking its path.
It took until 1.20pm for the crew to realise that the truck was inoperable and not about to me moved any time soon, a Perth Airport spokesperson said.
The passengers were taken off the plane for a time while arrangements were made by catering company Dnata for their truck to be towed.
Passenger Nick McRae said they were allowed to board the plane again at around 3pm.
Passengers were left stranded when a Qantas flight was delayed for hours on Tuesday after it was stuck behind a broken down truck in Perth Airport. Pictured is a Qantas plane in Perth
Flight QF938 to Brisbane was supposed to leave just after 1pm (WA time) but the place couldn’t move due to the catering truck blocking its path. Perth Airport is pictured
‘Apparently nobody can find a tow chain or a strap,’ he said.
The flight finally left for Brisbane just after 3pm, more than two hours after its scheduled departure, Perth Now reported.
It was scheduled to arrive at 9.16pm Queensland time.
Two weeks ago Qantas posted an interim underlying pre-tax profit of $1.43billion in its first return to profitability since the coronavirus pandemic brought travel to a grinding halt in 2020.
The statutory net profit for the six months to June 30 was $1billion, compared to a $456million net loss a year earlier.
The profit turnaround was delivered despite a 65 per cent increase in fuel costs during the half.
Qantas said domestic flying levels had averaged 94 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, while international capacity also doubled to 60 per cent.
