A Thai AirAsia flight from the Maldives to Bangkok turned back shortly after departure and made a safe emergency landing on Thursday night after a fire was reported in an engine.
Thai AirAsia on Friday said the pilots of flight FD178 from Male, the capital of the Maldives, returned to Valena international airport shortly after take-off due to "technical problems".
The flight left the airport at 8.25pm local time and landed back there at 8.41pm.
Clips and reports on The Edition news website, a sister publication of the Dhivehi-language Mihaaru, said the fire had been seen in one of the engines of the Airbus A320-200.
"Witnesses claimed that an engine of the plane was on fire when it took flight," it said, adding that the fire was put out before the plane made an emergency landing with all passengers safe.
The flight carried 58 passengers, mostly foreigners.
Maldives Tourism Minister Ali Waheed and other Tourism Ministry officials went to the airport after the incident, the Maldives news website said.
Thai AirAsia said the aircraft was being checked. The passengers were rebooked on flight FD176, which departed Male at 12.35pm on Friday and was scheduled to arrive at Don Mueang airport at 7.10pm local time.
Thai AirAsia began daily direct flights from Don Mueang to the Maldives in August 2017.