Tiger Airways plane makes emergency landing in Melbourne

Canberra, Mar 1: A Tiger Airways jet made an emergency landing in the Australian city of Melbourne on Tuesday after an odor was detected and crew members were reported ill, the government said.

The Airbus A320 carrying 80 passengers and crew from Brisbane declared an emergency as it approached Melbourne Airport today, Transport Minister Darren Chester said in a statement.

"Tiger Airlines Flight TGW 511 reported an odor in the cockpit and cabin," the statement said. "There were reports that crew members were taken ill."

The fire brigade and ambulances were put on standby, but the plane landed safely, it said. Tiger Airways said the crew detected an "unusual odor" in the cabin during the descent into Melbourne.

Four cabin crew members underwent medical assessments on arrival and were cleared of any health problems, the airline said in a statement.

Australian air safety investigators and engineers were examining the incident.

AP