A Malaysia Airlines plane has been forced to turn back to Kuala Lumpur after experiencing cabin pressure problems.

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According to The Sydney Morning Herald, Azharuddin Abdul Rahman, director-general of the Department of Civil Aviation, has confirmed that the Tokyo-bound plane was unable to maintain the correct air pressure.

The plane was forced to return to Kuala Lumpur International Airport after flying for 50 minutes.

“It was not able to maintain the right pressure differential for the comfort of the passengers. It is not a major problem,” Mr Abdul Rahman said.

Passengers were transferred to a different flight and departed a few hours later.

Malaysia Airlines has not yet released a statement regarding the incident.