The flight, which took off around 6:10 a.m., reportedly encountered smoke in the cabin shortly after takeoff, prompting the pilots to declare a PAN emergency to air traffic control, News.Az reports, citing Australian media.
The aircraft returned safely to Adelaide Airport, and all passengers and crew disembarked without injury.
A Qantas spokeswoman said company engineers would inspect the E190 aircraft later on Wednesday.
Three Liberal politicians were on-board the flight - including South Australian senator Leah Blyth - ahead of the party’s crucial meeting on net zero on Wednesday.
Senator Blyth told FIVEAA she had “an interesting start to the morning”.
“It wasn’t scary – it was unusual. Obviously we fly a fair bit (as politicians),” she said.
“I’ve never had a cabin fill with smoke quite like that before. That was certainly unusual.”
Ms Blyth praised the response of the Qantas pilots and cabin crew to the emergency.
“Hats off to the Qantas staff who were cool, calm, and collected and got us back safely on the ground … very grateful for that.”
She said the smoked “smelt electrical rather than like fuel”.
“It’s never nice being up in the air and smelling and seeing smoke,” she said.
