Qantas dismisses John Travolta overshot runway claim

Melbourne (ANI): Claims of actor John Travolta overshooting a runway at Melbourne airport have been refuted by Air Services Australia and Qantas. Travolta, 56, was flying in to celebrate Qantas' 90th birthday celebrations when the alleged incident happened.

According to the Herald Sun, air authorities and the airline also rejected suggestions that Travolta came close to a building as he approached Melbourne Airport. Qantas spokesman Tom Woodward said air traffic control had simply asked Travolta, in Australia for the airline's 90th birthday celebrations, to initiate a procedure known as a go-around as he approached the airport.

"Rather than landing as scheduled, you have to back up, you have to go around and land on the second occasion. It's pretty common in aviation," News.com.au quoted him as saying. "It was not anything to do with the piloting of the aircraft. It was just a request from traffic control," he stated.

Woodward said go-arounds are usually initiated around somewhere between 60m and 300m altitude, and Travolta had not made a mistake and reacted according to his training. Air services Australia backed Qantas, saying Travolta simply conducted a routine go-around and there were no safety issues.