An Emirates Boeing 777-300 aircraft heading to the Maldives made an emergency landing in Mumbai on Tuesday because of a "technical fault", the airline said in a statement.

"Emirates can confirm that... flight EK652 from Dubai to Male was diverted to Mumbai due to a technical fault," the airline said, adding that the passengers had disembarked safely.

"The aircraft has been serviced and will continue its journey to Male with a six-hour delay," it said, without elaborating.

Indian media reported that smoke had been detected on board.

Emirates serves more than 153 destinations from its hub at Dubai International -- ranked the world's busiest airport for international passengers last year.