An Air India Express flight from Hyderabad made a hard landing at Phuket International Airport, damaging its nose landing gear and forcing a runway closure for nearly six hours. The Boeing 737-800, carrying 131 passengers, two infants and seven crew members, became stuck on the runway. All passengers were safely evacuated with no injuries reported.
An Air India Express flight from Hyderabad to Phuket made a hard landing at Phuket International Airport in Thailand on Wednesday, damaging the aircraft’s nose landing gear and forcing airport authorities to temporarily close the runway. The aircraft involved in the incident was Air India Express flight IX938, operated by a Boeing 737-800 with registration number VT-BWQ. The flight landed at 11:24 am local time, slightly earlier than its scheduled arrival time of 11:40 am.
Soon after landing, officials found that the aircraft’s nose landing gear had been damaged, leaving the plane unable to move off the runway immediately.
Nose-wheel malfunction reported
Initial reports suggested that the aircraft faced a nose-wheel malfunction during the landing. Because of the damage, the plane became temporarily stuck on the runway.
Airport authorities quickly moved to secure the area and began assessing the condition of the aircraft and the runway. Safety teams were called in to inspect the landing area and ensure there were no risks for other flights.
The situation forced officials to suspend runway operations while the aircraft was inspected and the runway cleared.
All passengers and crew safe
Authorities confirmed that all passengers and crew members on board the flight were safe.
According to airport officials, there were 131 passengers, two infants and seven crew members on the aircraft. Everyone was safely deplaned after the incident, and no injuries were reported.
Airport staff assisted passengers after they disembarked from the plane. The airline and airport teams also worked together to manage the situation and ensure the safety of everyone involved.
Runway closed for nearly six hours
Phuket International Airport has only one runway, which meant operations had to be completely stopped after the aircraft became stuck.
Airport authorities issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) announcing the temporary closure of the runway from 12:08 pm until 6:00 pm local time. During this period, teams worked to remove the aircraft and carry out detailed safety inspections of the runway.
Officials said the closure was necessary to ensure the airport could resume operations safely once the aircraft was removed.
Flights disrupted and diverted
Because of the runway shutdown, air traffic at Phuket Airport was significantly disrupted. Several incoming flights had to circle in holding patterns near Phuket while waiting for further instructions. Other flights were diverted to nearby airports.
Authorities confirmed that some aircraft were redirected to airports in Krabi and Surat Thani while the runway remained closed.
Airport officials warned that the disruption could cause a backlog of flights later in the day.
Passengers advised to check flight status
With several flights affected by the temporary shutdown, airport authorities advised travellers to check their flight status before heading to the airport.
Airlines operating at Phuket also worked to adjust schedules and manage delays caused by the runway closure. Officials said operations would gradually return to normal once the runway was fully cleared and safety checks were completed.
Investigation and safety checks underway
Technical teams and aviation authorities are continuing to assess the aircraft and the exact cause of the hard landing.
While early reports point to damage to the nose landing gear, a detailed inspection will determine what exactly caused the problem. Such inspections are routine after aviation incidents to ensure aircraft safety and to prevent similar problems in the future.
The incident once again shows how airport authorities and airline teams quickly respond to emergencies to protect passengers and maintain aviation safety.
