Mayday call from United flight triggers Sydney Airport emergency response

A full emergency response was activated at Sydney Airport after a United Airlines flight from Los Angeles carrying 194 passengers made a mayday call above the city.

File: A United Airlines airplane takes off. Source: Getty Images

A United Airlines flight carrying 194 passengers and crew from Los Angeles landed without incident in Sydney early on Thursday after a mayday call caused by low fuel triggered a major emergency response.

"United flight 839 from Los Angeles to Sydney landed safely ... following a mechanical issue," Madhu Unnikrishnan, a spokesman for United Airlines, said in an emailed statement.

"The aircraft taxied to the gate and all customers disembarked normally," he said.

The flight path Source: FlightTracker

A spokeswoman for Air Services Australia said the Boeing 787 triggered a mayday call due to low fuel reserves.

"No passengers were at risk at any time," she said.

A spokesman for Sydney Airport declined to comment.

The New South Wales state police said in a statement a major emergency response was activated at Sydney airport after "a pilot reported a problem".

Some major roads around the airport were closed as a precaution at 6.36am. The plane landed safely and roads were re-opened three minutes later.