An Air India Express aircraft suffered a severe hard landing at Phuket International Airport, resulting in a collapsed nose gear and a prolonged runway closure that plunged the airport into operational chaos. The incident caused the airport to be shut for more than 10 hours, forcing multiple flights to be cancelled or diverted to other airports.
Single Runway Closure Triggers Widespread Flight Disruptions
The incident occurred at approximately 11.24am on Wednesday when flight no. IX-938, which originated from Hyderabad, bounced upon its initial contact with the tarmac. On the second contact, the impact was severe enough to cause both nose wheels to detach from the landing gear assembly. The nose landing gear strut scraped the runway surface, leaving long skid marks and causing minor damage to the pavement before the aircraft came to a halt, stranded in the middle of the sole landing strip.
The flight's abrupt landing was captured on video, reportedly by a bystander, and shared widely on social media. Despite the aircraft's structural damage, sources confirmed that all 140 people on board, including seven crew members, were safely deplaned with no reported injuries.
Air India Express Confirms Incident, Thanks Authorities
We confirm that our Hyderabad-Phuket flight on 11 March experienced a nose-wheel issue at Phuket Airport. The crew followed all standard protocols, and guests were deplaned. We thank our guests, the Phuket airport authorities, and all stakeholders for their cooperation,” an Air India Express spokesperson said.
As Phuket International Airport operates with only a single runway, the disabled aircraft completely paralysed flight operations. According to data from flight-tracking platforms, the runway remained closed for more than 10 hours, affecting over 100 flights scheduled to arrive and depart from the airport. While all the flights which had already departed for Phuket at the time of the incident were diverted to other airports, various flights were either cancelled or suffered prolonged delays.
According to sources, the nose gear of the aircraft was installed within a few hours of the incident. The airport remained closed until the debris was cleared and the runway surface was inspected for safety.
