Budget airline jet makes priority landing in Australia

An Australian budget airline jet made a priority landing in Melbourne on Tuesday after an unusual odour filled the plane's cabin, officials said.

Emergency personnel were on standby when the Tigerair Australia plane, reportedly carrying about 60 people, landed shortly after 10:00 am (2300 GMT Monday).

"I can confirm that there was an emergency called by a pilot on a Tigerair flight," a Melbourne Airport spokeswoman told AFP. "The plane landed safely."

Tiger Airways Australia, which operates as Tigerair Australia, said flight TT511 from Brisbane to Melbourne landed without incident after "an unusual odour was detected in the cabin on descent".

"Emergency services were on standby to meet the aircraft in Melbourne, which is standard for an event of this nature," the airline said in a statement.

"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."

Local ambulance authorities said four people were assessed by paramedics at the airport as a precaution.

The plane will be assessed by engineers, the carrier added.

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