2LT National News

SYDNEY, Australia – A direct flight scheduled to depart Sydney Airport for San Francisco Thursday was cancelled just hours before the flight.

Hundreds of passengers had their travel plans thrown into disarray when QF73 was cancelled shortly after 11:00am Thursday.

The flight was expected to depart at 9:55pm Thursday.

“We are sorry we had to cancel your flight QF 73 from Sydney at 21:55 on Thu 3 Aug,” the airline said in a text to passengers at 11:15am Thursday.

“We are looking at alternative flight options for you and we will send your new flight details shortly once we have rebooked you.”

Flights to San Francisco from Sydney are limited with only Qantas and United seemingly providing direct flights.

Passengers were left with accommodation bookings that in most cases are unrefundable.

While domestic flights are often cancelled, it is unusual for an international flight, particularly one of a more than 13-hours duration to be scuppered. It would normally be expected that an airline of the size of Qantas would have a spare plane or two at the ready in the case of a breakdown.

It is understood that a medical emergency caused a plane in the Qantas fleet to be diverted which caused the cancelleation of the Sydney-San Francisco flight.