An El Al plane making its way from Israel to Hong Kong was forced to land in the Uzbek capital of Tashkent due to a technical problem in one of its engines.

The 238 passengers on board the craft were transferred to a hotel and are awaiting the arrival of an alternative plane from Israel.

Several hours after the plane took off from the Ben Gurion Airport Sunday night, emergency lights indicating a problem in one of the engines went off in the cockpit.

"The pilots noticed that the oil levels in the engine dropped, apparently due to a malfunction. The pilots shut down the engine and proceeded to Tashkent," said El Al deputy director-general Lior Yavor.

Following the arrival in Tashkent the plane was immediately taken for repairs and El Al has sent a replacement aircraft that will deliver the passengers to Hong Kong. The plane will also be carrying technicians from Israel who will try to fix the problems.