What happened
On Saturday, 13 December 2025, Qantas flight QF703, a Boeing 737-838 registered VH-VXR and operated by Qantas Airways, was departing Cairns Airport on a scheduled passenger service to Melbourne-Tullamarine Airport. At approximately 11:30 am local time, during the take-off roll, the flight crew detected abnormal vibration associated with the landing gear, and the safety officer observed tyre debris on the runway.
Following the detection of the abnormal indications, the crew elected to divert the aircraft to Brisbane. The aircraft landed without further incident at Brisbane Airport.