Around 100 passengers heading to Melbourne for Christmas from Queenstown in New Zealand have been unexpectedly diverted to Hobart tonight, just minutes before they were supposed to touch down at Melbourne Airport.
Travellers on Jetstar flight JQ220 were expecting to arrive in Melbourne at 10:05pm on Christmas Eve, but were forced to turn around less than 30km from the airport as a result of bad weather.
A Melbourne Airport spokesperson told Pulse several flights have been diverted tonight as a result of severe wet weather in the city.
The flight eventually touched down at Hobart Airport around 10:20pm, 3 hours and 45 minutes after it departed from Queenstown.
A Jeststar spokesperson confirmed the aircraft had been diverted as the result of “severe thunderstorms” in Melbourne.
“At this stage, the plan is for the aircraft to refuel in Hobart and then continue on to Melbourne,” they said.
It is expected passengers will remain on the aircraft while it is at Hobart Airport.
The flight was one of over 40 to land in Hobart today, on what the airport earlier said was expected to be their busiest day of the year.
