On January 19, 2023, another Qantas Boeing 737-800 had a technical problem. Flight QF101, operated by VH-VZQ, had to abort the Sydney to Nadi flight and make a return landing.

The airline concerned explains, among other things, that the return to Sydney was taken as a precautionary measure. During the flight, the pilots received a warning that there might be a mechanical problem. At around 8:30 am local time, the captain decided that the voyage to Nadi would be cancelled.

This Boeing 737-800 then circled the coast of New South Wales for around two hours before landing safely at Sydney Airport around 10:50 am local time. The airline told TV station ABC News that the pilots had an error message and decided to return to the starting point as a precautionary measure.

Qantas did not communicate the exact cause. The warning message would only have indicated a possible mechanical problem. The VH-VZQ was then examined more closely by technicians. In contrast to the incident that happened on the way from Auckland to Sydney the day before, the captain declared no air emergency.