Flight 108, carrying 230 people, was only moments into its ascent when its pilot reported the mid-air emergency to air traffic control.

The Boeing 787, flying from Washington, D.C., to Munich, had to make hasty return to the airport "to address a mechanical issue," the carrier said.

A United Airlines flight traveling from Washington Dulles International Airport made an emergency landing last month after the pilot declared a mayday call shortly after takeoff due to engine failure.