Qantas plane lands safely after mechanical problems

A London-bound Qantas Boeing 747 returned to Bangkok shortly after takeoff due to mechanical problems in the sixth incident to affect a Qantas airplane in a week.

The airline said the plane experienced a surge in one of its four engines shortly after departing Bangkok for London early today.

The pilot shut down the engine and flew back to Bangkok airport.

Qantas said in a statement today: “There was no safety issue at any stage.”

It said its pilots are trained for such problems and “Boeing 747 aircraft can fly normally on three engines”.

A replacement aircraft was being flown to Bangkok from Sydney.

It is the latest in a week of problems for Qantas, including engine problems that grounded two flights and tyre blowouts.