Phuket International Airport has shut down its runway following an emergency landing incident involving an Air India Express plane arriving from Hyderabad. The Boeing 737 aircraft’s nose landing gear sustained significant damage, prompting the closure. Fortunately, all 133 passengers were safely evacuated with no reported injuries.
The airport’s lone 10,000-foot asphalt-paved runway is expected to remain non-operational for an extended period as efforts continue to clear the damaged aircraft. Flightradar24 indicated that the runway closure has led to the diversion of at least 20 flights to alternative airports.
Crews are actively working to remove the impaired Boeing 737 from the runway, with photos and videos capturing the aftermath of the hard landing. Despite the runway closure, there have been reports of flight delays and diversions affecting numerous passengers.
Air India Express confirmed the incident, stating that the crew followed standard protocols during the emergency, and passengers were safely deplaned. The budget airline, a subsidiary of Air India, focuses on domestic and short- to medium-haul international routes.
The nose wheel, a critical part of an aircraft’s landing gear system, was identified as the component that suffered damage during the landing. NDTV reported that all passengers were swiftly evacuated, and images revealed the extent of the damage to the aircraft’s landing gear and the runway itself.
As updates continue to unfold, the situation at Phuket International Airport remains fluid, impacting numerous travelers and flight operations. The ongoing closure of the runway has forced flight diversions and delays, affecting the airport’s operations and inconveniencing passengers awaiting their flights.
