Qantas QF36 from Singapore to Melbourne forced to land in Adelaide after technical issue on Christmas Eve

A Qantas flight from Singapore to Melbourne has been forced to divert to Adelaide due to a technical issue, causing headaches for hundreds of passengers on Christmas Eve.

Flight QF36 departed Singapore shortly before 8pm on Tuesday and was scheduled to arrive in Melbourne at 6.15am on Wednesday.

Instead, passengers woke up to find themselves in a different city after the long-haul flight.

One passenger told Sunrise the situation was “frustrating” and “irritating”, adding they were only told about the diversion 30 minutes before landing in Adelaide.

A Qantas spokesperson apologised for the disruption.

“We’re very sorry for any inconvenience caused, particularly at this time of year, however, safety is our number one priority and we thank passengers for their patience and understanding,” they said.

All impacted passengers have since departed Adelaide after being moved onto alternative flights to Melbourne.

Engineers are inspecting the aircraft before it returns to service.

The disruption comes as airlines brace for a busy holiday period, with 13 million passengers expected to travel across Australia over the summer holidays.