Jetstar flight to Bali turned back to Melbourne after four hours over ‘miscommunication’
Jetstar has apologised after holidaymakers heading to Bali from Melbourne were turned around four hours into their flight after the airline failed to get approval from Indonesian authorities to use a different plane.
Some Jetstar passengers leaving Melbourne for Bali spent almost eight hours in the air after departing on Tuesday, only to land back where they started.
Flight JQ35 left Melbourne bound for Denpasar on Tuesday at 11.02pm AEDT after being delayed for almost five hours, but was sent back to Melbourne once it had already flown across Australia and was above the Timor Sea near Broome.
By the time passengers arrived back in Victoria’s capital, they had spent about eight hours in the air. The route from Melbourne to Denpasar usually takes five hours and 40 minutes.
A Jetstar spokesperson confirmed on Wednesday the airline had upgraded the plane from an Airbus A321 to a larger Boeing 787 to carry more customers during the busy holiday season, but “due to a miscommunication, the aircraft swap was not approved by the local regulator in Indonesia”.
“As soon as we became aware, the flight returned to Melbourne, and we have rebooked passengers on a flight later today,” the spokesperson said.
Jetstar apologised and said it had begun a review to “understand how the miscommunication happened” and acknowledged it was “an extremely frustrating experience for customers”.
The airline said passengers – who landed back in Melbourne at 6.53am on Wednesday – were being provided with hotel rooms and meal vouchers while they waited, and it would also cover additional airport transport costs.
“To thank customers for their patience, we’re also reaching out to them to provide a $200 travel voucher,” a Jetstar spokesperson said.
A replacement flight is scheduled to leave Melbourne airport at 4.45pm on Wednesday.
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