Qantas CEO Says 'Design Issue' May Have Caused Engine Failure

A flawed part or design failing may have caused the engine on board a Qantas Airways (QUBSF) Airbus A380 to explode in mid-air, Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said.

The explosion on a Thursday flight from Singapore to Sydney, Australia scattered debris across an Indonesian island and forced the plane to make an emergency landing at Singapore.

"We believe this is probably most likely a material failure or some sort of design issue," Joyce said, according to Reuters.

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Qantas has grounded its fleet of A380s while it searches for the cause of the problem. The fleet will stay on the ground for at least 24 hours while safety staff check for safety issues.

"If we don't find any adverse findings in those checks the aircraft will resume operations," said Joyce.

Rolls Royce, which makes the engines, urged aircraft operators to perform safety checks.

John Leahy, sales chief at Airbus, said airlines had expressed "no concerns whatsoever," but about the safety of the jets.