No reports of any casualties and passengers disembarked safely

Airline confirmed the incident was caused by a bird strike

The Airbus A330, flight QR240 had been headed for Doha, Qatar

Aircraft forced to land at Ataturk Airport with one of its engines on fire

A Qatar Airways passenger jet with over 300 people on board was forced to make an emergency landing at Istanbul's main airport today (Thursday) after an engine caught fire, the airline said, blaming a 'bird strike' for the blaze.

The Airbus A330 had been headed for Doha, Qatar but had to turn back to Ataturk International airport less than 30 minutes into its journey.

Shocking videos have captured flames shooting out of the passenger jet's engine as it returns to the Istanbul hub.

Raging flames were captured spilling out of the passenger jet's left engine

The Airbus A330 had to turn back to Ataturk airport less than 30 minutes into its journey

A passerby captured the plane on fire on their mobile phone

The plane was carrying 298 passengers and 14 crew and all were evacuated safely, according to the airline.

However, local Turkish news agencies reported one woman on board was hospitalised after suffering a fainting spell.

The airline blamed the fire on Flight QR240 on what it described as a 'bird strike' .

A spokesperson for Qatar Airways told MailOnline: 'Qatar Airways can confirm that QR240 from Istanbul to Doha experienced a bird strike, which resulted in its safe return to Istanbul.

'All 298 passengers and 14 crew disembarked normally and the airline is sending a replacement aircraft to Istanbul.

'Customer needs, including onward travel, will be taken care of by the airline. The safety of our passengers is our most important responsibility. The pilot followed all safety procedures.'

Turkish media said the airline would send a replacement aircraft to Istanbul to ferry waiting passengers onward to its hub in the new Hamad International Airport in Doha.

A Qatar Airways aircraft is seen after making an emergency landing at Ataturk International Airport after a 'bird strike' caused a blaze

The smoke seen at the aircraft's wheels is due to its landing

Turkish media said the airline would send a replacement aircraft to Istanbul to ferry waiting passengers onward to its hub in the new Hamad International Airport in Doha

Typically, such strikes can see birds sucked into a passenger plane's jet engine, sparking a fire and shorting it out.

Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency reported that the emergency landing was ordered after flames came out of the plane's left-side engine.

Mehmet Kirazoglu, who first reported the plane landing on Twitter said: '‏I was in Turkish Airlines Technology building nearby the IST airport we heard a strange engine sound over us.

'When [we looked] up we saw a Qatar Airways plane whose left engine was flaming out.

'It turned round towards sea, I suppose it drained its fuel [in the] Marmara Sea. Thank god, we have learnt that it landed safely.'

Airport workers in high-vis jackets peering into the Airbus A330's left engine

According to Turkish news site, AirportHaber there was 'damage to the blades'

At noon after the aircraft had landed at Ataturk International airport, airport staff inspected the plane's engines.

According to Turkish news site, AirportHaber there was 'damage to the blades'.

The site has shared pictures of airport workers in high-vis jackets peering into the Airbus A330's left engine.

HOW DANGEROUS IS A BIRD STRIKE? 'Strikes are occasionally dangerous,' author and pilot Patrick Smith wrote in Cockpit Confidential. 'This is especially true when engines are involved, as we saw in 2009 when US Airways flight 1549 glided into the Hudson River after colliding with a flock of Canada geese.' In this incident Captain Sullenberger courageously landed an A320 in the Hudson River after the plane lost thrust in both engines following the bird strike, which occurred moments after take-off. 'Modern turbofans are resilient, but they don't take kindly to the ingestion of foreign objects, particularly those slamming into their rotating blades at high speeds,' said Smith. 'Birds don't clog an engine but can bend or fracture the internal blades, causing power loss.' Advertisement

The passenger jet had been heading to Doha, Qatar from Istanbul when it was forced to turn back on itself

A Qatar Airways aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing at Istanbul's Ataturk (stock image)

Passengers on board the Airbus A330 have disembarked as normal back at Ataturk Airport

Qatar Airways has issued a statement on their twitter account to confirm that the plane has landed safely

Qatar Airways is one of the Mideast's three biggest carriers, alongside the region's biggest carrier, the Dubai-based Emirates Airline, and the Abu-Dhabi based Etihad Airways.

The three have increasingly challenged Western airlines in long-haul flights.

Qatar Airways flies out of its hub in the vast new Hamad International Airport in Doha, which is preparing to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup.