An Iran Air plane made an emergency landing in Beijing shortly after takeoff on Thursday because of engine problems, the airline said.

No one was injured, Chinese aviation officials said.

Iran Air flight IR 800 stops in transit in Beijing from Tehran en route to Tokyo. It landed at 0933 (0133 GMT), according to Xinhua news agency.

Iran Air's country manager in Beijing confirmed the aircraft was on its way to Tokyo.

"It had some problems with the engines," Alireza Fakhredin told Reuters, adding that the aircraft was carrying about 120 passengers.

He was unsure if the aircraft would be able to continue its journey.

An Air China official earlier told Reuters the problem was with the landing gear.

Visibility was clear at the time.

Iran Air uses Boeing 747SPs on the route, according to the company's Web site, a model that dates back to the 1970s.

Boeing delivered its last 747 to Iran Air in 1979, according to the Web site www.boeing.com, just before the Islamic revolution after which the United States cut ties with Iran.

Since the revolution, Iran has been forced to supplement its fleet of Boeing and European-made Airbus airliners with aircraft bought or leased from the former Soviet Union which have suffered a string of fatal accidents.

Iran Air has found it hard to get spare parts for its Boeing aircraft since the U.S embargo which followed the revolution, airline sources say.

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