A bad smell on a plane that prompted a pilot to make a request for emergency services to be ready at Melbourne airport is being investigated by safety officers.
Tigerair flight 511 from Brisbane to Melbourne touched down just after 10am on Tuesday after the pilot notified ground control of an emergency when an “unusual odour” was detected in the cockpit and cabin.
There were fears the odour was linked to a hazardous chemical and reports some crew members had fallen ill during descent. 
The pilot requested a priority landing, and the plane was met on the tarmac by fire and ambulance crews.
Four cabin crew members were examined by Ambulance Victoria paramedics but did not need any treatment.
All of the flight’s 70-odd passengers walked off the flight unassisted.
Melbourne Airport says emergency services were called as part of the airport’s standard procedures.
Transport Minister Darren Chester says the Australian Transport Safety Bureau will investigate.
The aircraft will be assessed by engineers, as is standard in incidents of this nature, Tigerair says.
“Safety is always the airline’s first priority and the airline has robust procedures in place to ensure the highest standards of safety are always maintained,” it said in a statement.
