Thursday, November 4, 2010

Qantas suspends all 380 flights following engine problem

(Photo Wong Maye-E / Associated Press)

The CEO of Qantas says the safety of its superjumbo jet is the main focus and those planes are grounded until that's assured.

CEO Alan Joyce says the airline is suspending all flights of its six Airbus A380 jetliners after a mid-air engine problem on a flight from Singapore.

A Qantas superjumbo jet made an emergency landing Thursday in Singapore with 459 people aboard, after one of its four engines failed over western Indonesia.

Witnesses say a blast sent debris hurtling to the ground. The carrier says there was no explosion, and that the plane landed safely with no injuries.

A Qantas statement said the double-decker Airbus 380 plane experienced an "engine issue" soon after taking off from Singapore for Sydney.

The flight is a regular service that flies between Sydney, Singapore and London.

(WCBD TV Channel 2 News - Charleston S.C.)

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