Air Bagan airline formally launched its first international service Tuesday with a flight to Bangkok in neighboring Thailand, but technical problems delayed the plane's return, an official said.

The scheduled return flight to Yangon of the 228-seat plane, whose passengers included journalists invited for the occasion, was delayed due to a technical hitch, a Thai aviation official said.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release information, said an unknown object had struck one of the turbofan engines, causing minor damage.