Air India flight makes emergency landing in Phuket after bomb threat

A Delhi-bound Air India flight, carrying 156 passengers, turned back to Phuket International Airport on Friday after crew received a bomb threat

An Air India flight turned back to Phuket International Airport on Friday morning after crew received a bomb threat while en route to New Delhi. Flight AI 379 had departed the Thai resort island at 9.30 am local time (02.30 GMT) and, after circling over the Andaman Sea, requested an immediate return, flight-tracking data from Flightradar24 showed. 

Phuket Airport activated its Airport Contingency Plan, ‘Chapter 3’, with firefighters, police and medical teams positioned on the tarmac, the Transport Ministry said. “Passengers were being escorted from the plane … in line with emergency plans,” an Airports of Thailand official told Reuters. 

Flight AI 379 had departed the Thai resort island at 9.30 am local time and, after circling over the Andaman Sea, requested an immediate return. (Photo/PTI)

 

   

After the flight landed safely, security personnel ushered the 156 passengers and crew to a secure holding area while bomb disposal squads searched the cabin and cargo hold. Authorities later confirmed that “no bomb was found” during the initial inspection but said a full forensic sweep would continue before the jet is cleared to fly again.   

 

  Air India probes mid-air scare

Air India issued a brief statement thanking Thai officials for their swift response and assuring passengers that “all necessary safety protocols were followed”. 

Thai officials said the aircraft will remain grounded until security teams complete a second, more detailed inspection. Passengers were rebooked on alternative flights to Delhi, and Air India has launched its own investigation in coordination with Indian and Thai authorities. 

A full report on the incident is expected within 30 days, according to the Transport Ministry.

 

Second crisis in two days for the airline

Friday’s scare came barely 24 hours after a separate Air India aircraft crashed on approach to Ahmedabad, killing 241 people in what investigators have already called one of India’s worst aviation disasters in recent memory. The back-to-back incidents have prompted India’s civil aviation regulator to review emergency procedures and communication protocols across all carriers.