Catalyst and process for the production of olefins

A process for the production of an olefin, said process comprising passing a mixture of a hydrocarbon and an oxygen-containing gas over a catalyst system capable of supporting combustion beyond the fuel rich limit of flammability, which catalyst system comprises a catalytic component, a first support and a second support, wherein the catalytic component is present on both the first and the second support, wherein the first support and second support differ in at least one of support material, support type and/or support structural dimension and wherein the first and/or second supports are in the form of ceramic foam or ceramic monolith and comprise a series of blocks or layers which are arranged such that they tessellate together to leave no gaps, the blocks or layers being tiled within a reactor in different directions in a manner such that tiles of a layer either above or below do not exactly overlap with any neighboring layer.