Daijiworld Media Network - Phuket

Phuket, Mar 11: An Air India Express flight from Hyderabad made a hard landing at Phuket International Airport on Wednesday, damaging the aircraft’s nose landing gear and forcing authorities to shut the runway for nearly six hours.

All 133 passengers on board flight IX938 were safely deplaned and no injuries were reported, airport officials said. The runway was closed until around 6 pm local time to allow inspection and clearance following the incident.

Initial reports indicated that the aircraft’s nose landing gear was damaged during landing, resulting in the hard touchdown on the runway. Airport authorities temporarily suspended operations while technical teams assessed the situation and ensured that the runway was safe for further flights.

Responding to the incident, Air India Express confirmed that its Hyderabad–Phuket flight experienced a nose wheel issue while landing at Phuket Airport, but all passengers were safe.

“We confirm that on March 11, our Hyderabad–Phuket flight encountered an issue with the nose wheel at Phuket Airport. The crew followed all standard protocols and all passengers were safely deplaned. We thank our guests, Phuket airport authorities and all stakeholders for their cooperation,” the airline said in a statement.

Later, Phuket International Airport said that as of 1.30 pm local time, efforts were underway to remove the disabled aircraft from the runway. Authorities added that the runway was expected to reopen after 6 pm.

Airport officials also advised passengers scheduled to travel to check the status of their flights with respective airlines before heading to the airport and apologised for the inconvenience caused due to the temporary closure.