Terrified passengers watched flames pouring from a plane engine following a bird strike in Saudi Arabia.

The Airbus A320 reportedly suffered a malfunction in one of its engines after hitting the creature shortly after taking off from King Abdullah International Airport in Jazan on Friday, January 17.

Horrifying footage shows bright red-orange flames pouring from the left side of the aircraft shortly after departing.

The plane, flight SV1804, was bound for King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh.

The flight captain quickly secured the damaged engine, allowing the plane to return safely to the airport. No injuries were reported among the passengers or crew members.

The Saudi Arabian Airlines A320-214, manufactured in 2018, can accommodate 132 passengers, with 120 in economy class and 12 in business class. It has the registration HZ-AS64.

It has a cruising speed of 447 knots (511 mph, 828 km/h) and a maximum cruising altitude of 36,100ft (11,000 m), with a range of 3,200 nautical miles (5,900 km).

Bird strikes can damage critical systems in the plane's engine, potentially causing fires and affecting the aircraft's ability to land safely.

Last year, a Jeju Air plane crash in South Korea became the country's worst aviation disaster, killing at least 179 people onboard, with only two survivors.

Flight records show the plane departed from Bangkok, Thailand, at 2:29 am before attempting to land at 8:59 am in South Korea on December 29, in the Jeonnam region.

Lee Jeong-hyun, the chief of the Muan Fire Department, stated that a bird strike or adverse weather conditions could have contributed to the crash.