Air drama: Qantas flight bound for Melbourne forced to turn back twice

A trouble-plagued Qantas flight has been forced to turn back twice after two separate serious issues emerged.

Melbourne-bound QF168 departed Christchurch at 6.46am on Monday but after an issue with the radio system, the pilots decided to turn around over the Tasman Sea.

After landing and an inspection by engineers, the Boeing 737-800 took off again two hours later.

But trouble struck for a second time shortly after takeoff, with an unusual smell reported in the cabin, prompting the pilots to turn back yet again.

A Qantas spokesperson apologised to passengers for the inconvenience.

“(We are) working hard to get customers on their way as quickly as possible,” they said.

“Pilots originally elected to return to Christchurch due to an issue with their radio. The issue was fixed by engineers and the aircraft cleared to return to service.

“Shortly after taking off again, an unusual smell was reported in the cabin. The pilots followed standard procedures and returned to Christchurch where the plane landed normally.

“Engineers are inspecting the aircraft to determine the cause of the smell, and passengers will be reaccommodated on flights via Auckland today.”