A flight from Doha to Auckland declared mayday shortly after take-off on Sunday.
The Qatar Airways aircraft was just minutes into the near 18-hour journey to Auckland, so had to burn a substantial amount of fuel before returning to Hamad International Airport.
A statement to Newshub from the airline confirmed the incident, saying QR920 had suffered a technical engine fault following take-off.
"The crew took all necessary precautions and the aircraft proceeded to land safely and without incident."
The Auckland bound passengers will board a different aircraft and start the already long journey down under for the second time.
Newshub.