United Melbourne to Los Angeles Flight with 787 Makes Emergency Landing in Brisbane

BRISBANE- Chicago-based carrier, United Airlines (UA) flight from Melbourne Airport (MEL) to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) was forced to divert to Brisbane Airport (BNE) after declaring an emergency in flight.

The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner operating flight UA99 had departed Melbourne on schedule but turned around less than three hours into its journey.

Photo: Aero Icarus | Flickr

United Flight Emergency Landing in Melbourne

The aircraft, registered as N29989, issued a squawk code 7700 indicating an emergency before landing in Brisbane.

United Airlines confirmed the diversion with Simple Flying was due to a medical emergency involving a passenger, with affected travelers being rebooked on later flights and provided accommodation.

According to FlightRadar24 data, United flight UA99 is a regularly scheduled transpacific service connecting Melbourne, Australia with Los Angeles, California.

It departs at 09:30 local time and arrives at LAX at 06:40 after approximately 14 hours in the air.

On April 11, 2025, the flight departed relatively on schedule at 09:42 local time (23:42 UTC). However, the journey was interrupted when the aircraft turned around southwest of New Caledonia at approximately 02:30 UTC. Rather than returning to its origin airport, the flight crew diverted to Brisbane on Australia’s east coast, landing at approximately 14:00 local time.

This incident marks the second significant diversion for United’s UA99 service in recent years. Approximately six years ago, the same route experienced a similar situation when the flight was diverted to New Caledonia under dramatic circumstances.

Photo: Brisbane Airport

Operational Challenges Following the Diversion

Twelve hours after landing in Brisbane, the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner remained on the ground, having not resumed its journey to Los Angeles. This extended delay likely stems from multiple operational factors affecting transpacific flight operations. The airline also canceled the flight.

Since Brisbane is not a United Airlines base, the carrier would not typically have standby crews available to continue the flight. Flight crew duty time limitations—strict regulations governing how long pilots and cabin crew can work continuously—likely prevented the original crew from completing the journey to Los Angeles after the unplanned stop.

United’s response focused on passenger care, providing accommodation and rebooking options while working to minimize the disruption’s impact.

Photo: Clément Alloing

Similar Incident

United Airlines Flight UA36 declared a medical emergency during its final approach to Edinburgh Airport, triggering an immediate response from emergency services upon landing.

The aircraft, traveling from Newark Liberty International Airport to Edinburgh, transmitted a 7700 emergency squawk code at approximately 9:53 AM Monday, alerting air traffic control to the urgent situation onboard.

The flight crew initiated emergency protocols when a passenger experienced a medical issue mid-journey across the Atlantic. Despite the emergency, the aircraft maintained its scheduled approach and landed safely at Edinburgh Airport where medical personnel stood ready to intervene.

Emergency responders boarded the aircraft immediately after landing to attend to the affected passenger. Officials have not released details about the specific nature of the medical emergency.

A United Airlines representative confirmed the incident, stating, “Upon its scheduled arrival at Edinburgh Airport, United Flight 36 was immediately met by emergency services to assist a customer’s medical situation.”

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