Phuket Airport Runway Reopens After Air India Express Landing Incident Disrupts Flights
A damaged nose wheel during landing forced a temporary runway closure at one of Thailand’s busiest airports, though all passengers were safely evacuated and operations quickly resumed.
Operations at Phuket International Airport were briefly disrupted on March 11 after an arriving Air India Express aircraft suffered damage to its nose landing gear during touchdown, forcing authorities to temporarily close the airport’s runway while the situation was resolved.
The aircraft, operating a scheduled flight from Hyderabad to Phuket, encountered a problem with its nose wheel during landing.
Airport officials reported that the aircraft made a hard touchdown that damaged the front landing gear and left the plane immobilised on the runway.
As a precaution, the airport temporarily halted all runway operations to remove the disabled aircraft and conduct safety inspections.
Air India Express confirmed that its crew followed established safety procedures during the incident.
All passengers and crew members were safely disembarked, and no injuries were reported.
The aircraft had been carrying more than one hundred passengers along with several crew members.
Phuket International Airport, one of Thailand’s busiest aviation gateways handling hundreds of domestic and international flights each day, issued a notice temporarily closing the runway while emergency teams worked to clear the aircraft and assess the condition of the runway surface.
Authorities coordinated with multiple agencies to ensure the situation was managed under strict aviation safety protocols.
The closure affected numerous scheduled flights, with delays, cancellations, and diversions reported during the disruption.
Several services connecting Singapore and Phuket were cancelled, including flights operated by Singapore Airlines and its low-cost subsidiary Scoot, while other flights were held in nearby airspace or redirected to alternate airports.
Airport teams successfully removed the aircraft and completed the necessary safety checks later the same day, allowing the runway to reopen and normal operations to resume.
Passengers affected by the earlier disruption were advised to confirm flight schedules directly with their airlines.
Thai aviation authorities emphasised that safety procedures were implemented swiftly and effectively, ensuring the incident was contained without injuries while restoring operations at the key tourist gateway.
With the runway now reopened, flights to and from Phuket have returned to normal service.
The aircraft, operating a scheduled flight from Hyderabad to Phuket, encountered a problem with its nose wheel during landing.
Airport officials reported that the aircraft made a hard touchdown that damaged the front landing gear and left the plane immobilised on the runway.
As a precaution, the airport temporarily halted all runway operations to remove the disabled aircraft and conduct safety inspections.
Air India Express confirmed that its crew followed established safety procedures during the incident.
All passengers and crew members were safely disembarked, and no injuries were reported.
The aircraft had been carrying more than one hundred passengers along with several crew members.
Phuket International Airport, one of Thailand’s busiest aviation gateways handling hundreds of domestic and international flights each day, issued a notice temporarily closing the runway while emergency teams worked to clear the aircraft and assess the condition of the runway surface.
Authorities coordinated with multiple agencies to ensure the situation was managed under strict aviation safety protocols.
The closure affected numerous scheduled flights, with delays, cancellations, and diversions reported during the disruption.
Several services connecting Singapore and Phuket were cancelled, including flights operated by Singapore Airlines and its low-cost subsidiary Scoot, while other flights were held in nearby airspace or redirected to alternate airports.
Airport teams successfully removed the aircraft and completed the necessary safety checks later the same day, allowing the runway to reopen and normal operations to resume.
Passengers affected by the earlier disruption were advised to confirm flight schedules directly with their airlines.
Thai aviation authorities emphasised that safety procedures were implemented swiftly and effectively, ensuring the incident was contained without injuries while restoring operations at the key tourist gateway.
With the runway now reopened, flights to and from Phuket have returned to normal service.
