SriLankan Airlines has confirmed that flight UL 605, traveling from Melbourne to Colombo, experienced a technical issue and returned safely to Melbourne Airport shortly after takeoff on Monday (12). 

The flight departed Melbourne at 6:16 PM local time but encountered an technical issue, prompting the pilot to return to the airport. 

All passengers onboard disembarked safely, and no injuries were reported.

Australian media reported that the airbus returned to Melbourne Airport shortly before 7:30pm after the emergency squawk code of 7700 was sounded.

The emergency call meant the flight quickly became the most tracked flight, with nearly 10,000 people across the world tracking it on FlightRadar24.com.

Australian media reported that the Airbus A330 was forced to turn back shortly after take-off when passengers began seeing and smelling smoke.

SriLankan Airlines has also confirmed that all passengers were accommodated in hotels until the flight can be rescheduled for departure.

Aviation YouTuber and UL605 passenger Dennis Bunnik praised the crew’s handling of the in air emergency.

“All safe and sound. 30 minutes out of MEL on the way to Sri Lanka we turned around,” he wrote on Twitter.