A Qantas airliner caught fire midair and landed at Kolkata's Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose international airport on Tuesday morning.

The jumbo jet, flying from Singapore to London, was forced to execute an emergency landing in Kolkata following the fire.

Airport sources said the pilot had noticed smoke billowing from the aircraft's engine.

All the 576 passengers, including the crew members, on board the aircraft are reported to be safe.