Kiev- A Boeing 747 passenger airliner bound for Netherlands lost the use of one of its engines while flying over Ukraine, the Interfax news agency reported Tuesday.

The plane had flown from Kuala Lumpur to the airspace of the former Soviet republic without incident, when one of the Boeing's four engines stopped working at 0345 GMT.

The report did not identify the carrier operating the aircraft.

Ukrainian airport personnel in the eastern city cleared a strip for an emergency landing, and airport staff in the cities Kiev and Simferopol were ordered to stand by.

The jet's flight crew chose to continue travel with three engines, and exited Ukrainian air space at 0415 GMT en route to north-western Europe. (dpa)