A Qantas flight has been forced to shut down an engine mid-flight after taking off from Melbourne on Monday night. Flight QF781 left Tullamarine shortly after 8.30pm (local time). As it neared its destination in Perth, passengers reported hearing a loud bang. A Qantas spokesperson said one of the plane's engines experienced an "issue" in the air. "The pilots followed the procedures for this type of incident and manually shut down the engine and requested a priority landing," a Qantas spokesperson told 9news.com.au. "These aircraft are designed to safely operate with one engine." The Airbus A330-200 made a priority landing in Perth, meeting emergency services on the ground just before 10pm. All aboard were able to disembark safely. "We know this would have been unsettling for customers on board and we thank them for their cooperation and understanding," the spokesperson said. Qantas engineers will now examine the plane.<br/>