A Qantas Airways Bombardier Q400 aircraft experienced engine problems shortly after departure and had to land at Canberra airport, less than an hour after take-off on Friday morning.

The aircraft, bound for Sydney, had departed from Canberra airport at 10:00 local time.

"The engine was shut down and the aircraft returned to Canberra, landing without incident," said a Qantas spokesman.

No injuries were sustained by the 74 passengers on board.

"Engineers are inspecting the aircraft to determine the cause of the issue," said the spokesman, adding that it is unclear when the aircraft will return to service.

Source: Air Transport Intelligence news