Qantas Plane Emergency Lands After 'Explosive Decompression'

A Qantas jumbo jet flight that was en route from London to Melbourne has made an emergency landing after a gaping hole suddenly appeared in its fuselage.

Qantas Airways said its Boeing 747-400, with 346 passengers and 19 crew, was diverted to Manila and "landed safely".

Officials say the large hole was caused by a mysterious "explosive decompression".

Chief Executive Officer of Qantas, Geoff Dixon said "all 346 passengers and 19 crew disembarked normally and there were no reports of any injuries to passengers or crew".

Mr Dixon praised the pilots and the crew for how they handled the incident: "This was a highly unusual situation and our crew responded with the professionalism that Qantas is know for," he said.

Part of the flooring near the affected area gave way, exposing some of the cargo below and part of the ceiling also collapsed.

The Australian Transportation Safety Bureau (ATSB) and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) have been notified.

The ATSB said the aircraft made an emergency descent from 29,000 ft to 10,000 ft.

Dr David Newman, of Flight Medicine Systems, says forcing the plane into a rapid descent after a sudden loss of pressure is a "standard emergency procedure".

Passengers said they heard a "large bang" and felt a "rush of wind and debris through the cabin" about an hour after Flight QF30 left Hong Kong at 9am.

Passenger Olivia Lucas told the BBC that "everyone was pretty scared for a few moments".

"We are very lucky we landed safely and no-one was hurt," she said.

Another passenger, Phill Restall, said that "there was no screaming" and "it wasn't your typical television movie".

Mr Dixon said the airline's own engineers were investigating what might have caused the hole in the fuselage.

The airline has provided all passengers with accommodation and a replacement aircraft had been arranged.

Founded in 1920, Qantas say they are the world's second-oldest airline.

As of December, 2007, Qantas were operating 216 aircraft flying to 140 destinations in 37 countries.

However, it has been announced that the airline will retire some aircraft and cancel some routes as well as cut 1,500 jobs worldwide due to "skyrocketing fuel prices".

(DS)