Chaos as Air Asia flight makes emergency landing at Brisbane Airport

An AirAsia X flight from Sydney to Malaysia has been urgently diverted to Brisbane shortly after takeoffafter losing cabin pressure.

Flight D7221 was making it way to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia shortlybeforemidnight on Sunday when it was forced to make a sharp U-turn.

Less than two hours after takeoff, the aircraft was forced to land at Brisbane Airport, with 142 passengers and 11 crew on board.

According to Flight Radar, the aircraft began “squawking 7700” – the international code for a general emergency – before it was diverted to the nearby airport.

An AirAsia X spokesperson said the pilots were forced to make a precautionary diversion “without incident”.

They confirmed the landing was due to a loss in cabin pressure shortly after takeoff.

“While the cabin pressure remained at a safe level, the captain chose to make a precautionary diversion to Brisbane Airport, in line with established operational safety procedures,” they told NewsWire.

The flight remains grounded at Brisbane Airport.

A Brisbane Airport spokesperson confirmed the diverted flight landed safely and passengers were offered accommodation overnight.

The AirAsia X flight will continue its scheduled path to Kuala Lumpur once the aircraft has been assessed and deemed safe for travel.

It was anticipated to depart about 7pm on Monday, the airline spokesperson said.

Speaking to NewsWire, AirAsia X general manager Benyamin Ismail said the precautionary diversion was “carried out in line with our operation safety procedure”.

“Our flight crew are highly trained in safety procedures and took the appropriate measures for an issue of this nature,” he said.

“Guests were kept informed by the crew and have all received accommodation and food vouchers while travel arrangements are being made.

“We sincerely thank our guests for their patience and understanding throughout the situation.”