An Air France flight was plunged into terror after the jet's engine disintegrated over the Atlantic ocean.

The pilot was forced to divert to Goose Bay in Canada after part of the cowling blasted off while the plane was flying at 38,000 feet.

Hundreds of passengers on board were left terrified as the engine was 'blown apart' with a 'loud thud and a lot of vibration'.

One traveller said they were 'just glad to be on the ground' following the mid-air drama.

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The Air France Airbus A380 suffered extensive damage of its number four engine, pictured

Passengers took photographs of the engine while the aircraft was above the Atlantic

Cabin crew gathered around to look at the starboard wing where number 4 engine is located

Shocking images shared on Twitter showed the mangled fuselage from the window of the jet, with one passenger saying: 'I think the engine has seen better days.'

Passengers were relieved as the seven-year-old jet landed safely in Goose Bay in Newfoundland.

Air France said in a statement on social media: 'AF66 landed safely. Customers taken care by Air France and rerouting solutions on going.

'Technical issue identified, AF66 diverting per precaution to Goose Bay YYR for technical checks.'

The Airbus A380, file photograph, was forced to divert to Goose Bay in Newfoundland

The jet made it safely to the ground in Goose Bay, Newfoundland, pictured

The jet is powered by four Engine Alliance engines, which the manufacturers claim offer $6 million in savings a year with a lower fuel burn, greater range and larger payloads.

According to the company, its GP72000 engine is 'engineered for greater reliability and the lower maintenance costs that come with it'.

Of the almost 200 A380s in the skies, 125 are powered by Engine Alliance engines.

Goose Bay is the first airport available for large aircraft in North America when flying from Northern Europe.

Air France confirmed one of the aircraft's four engines was 'seriously damaged'.

The airline is currently working to transfer the passengers from Newfoundland to California.

Air France said the flight crew handled the emergency 'perfectly'.

The aircraft, which is one of ten A380s in the airline's fleet was carrying 496 passengers and 24 crew.

The A380 is the world's largest passenger aircraft.