An Air India Express flight from Hyderabad in India, made a hard landing at Phuket International Airport in Thailand today (Wednesday), causing significant damage to the aircraft’s nose landing gear. The Boeing 737 MAX 8, carrying 133 passengers, slid along the runway before coming to a halt.
All passengers were safely evacuated and escorted to a waiting area, while emergency response teams and airport authorities secured the site. Photographs from the scene show the broken nose wheel lying on the runway, according to NDTV.
The incident prompted airport authorities to issue a NOTAM (Notice to Air Mission), temporarily closing the runway until 6 pm Phuket time for safety inspections and clearance operations. The closure impacted some flight schedules.
“The crew followed all standard protocols, and guests were safely deplaned. We thank our passengers, the Phuket airport authorities, and all stakeholders for their cooperation,” said an Air India Express spokesperson.
Flight IX 938 departed Hyderabad at 6:42 am IST, slightly delayed from its scheduled 6:20 am departure, and landed at Phuket at 11:40 am Phuket time. The nose landing gear, crucial for steering and supporting the front of the aircraft during landing, suffered critical damage.
Authorities continue safety checks to ensure the runway and operations return to normal.
