Qantas Melbourne to Dubai flight circles for hours before landing in Sydney

A Qantas flight from Melbourne to Dubai has back-tracked to Sydney Airport after flying halfway across the country before encountering engineering problems. The A380 landed at Sydney Airport about 6.50am on Tuesday, more than eight hours after it left Melbourne. A Qantas spokesman said there had been a "slight vibration issue" with one of the engines on the QF9 flight. "The pilots decided to return the aircraft to Sydney where it is expected passengers will be transferred onto a replacement aircraft later this morning," the spokesman said. The plane left Melbourne Airport at around 11pm. After turning back over South Australia, flight tracking websites showed the plane entering holding patterns over Cowra and Goulburn. It is understood the engine in question was vibrating above its normal threshold. Qantas also has A380 maintenance facilities at Sydney Airport, which also helps explain the decision to return the plane to Sydney.<br/>