An AirAsia flight en route from Sydney to Kuala Lumpur was forced to divert to Brisbane late on Sunday night after declaring a mid-air emergency shortly after departure.
Flight D7 221 departed Sydney at around 10pm before making a sharp U-turn less than two hours into the journey and landing at Brisbane Airport.
Flight tracking data shows the aircraft issued a 7700 squawk code, which indicates a general emergency, prior to the diversion. The aircraft also experienced a sudden drop in altitude before landing.
The flight remains on the ground in Brisbane.
AirAsia has not yet confirmed the cause of the diversion, though early reports suggest a possible loss of cabin pressure.
In a statement AirAsia confirmed that flight D7221 from Sydney (SYD) to Kuala Lumpur (KUL), landed safely at Brisbane Airport (BNE) after making a precautionary diversion at 11:56PM local time on 8 February 2026. All 142 guests and 11 crew disembarked without incident.
Shortly after takeoff, the flight crew observed an alert related to cabin pressure. While the cabin pressure remained at a safe level, the Captain chose to make a precautionary diversion to Brisbane airport, in line with established operational safety procedures. The aircraft will undergo a detailed engineering assessment in line with safety protocols.
Once the aircraft has been assessed and deemed safe to operate, guests will continue their journey to KUL. The newest estimation of time of departure from Brisbane to Kuala Lumpur is 7:00pm on Monday 9 February. All guests have been accommodated, and service recovery options are being offered.
Benyamin Ismail, General Manager, AirAsia X said: “This precautionary diversion was carried out in line with our operational safety procedures. Our flight crew are highly trained in safety procedures and took the appropriate measures for an issue of this nature. Guests were kept informed by the crew, and have all received accommodation and food vouchers while travel arrangements are being made. We sincerely thank our guests for their patience and understanding throughout the situation.”
