Thailand's Phuket airport temporarily closed its runway on March 11 after an Air India Express plane experienced a landing gear issue upon arrival from Hyderabad. The flight, carrying 133 passengers, sustained damage to its nose wheel with no casualties reported. The runway was expected to reopen by 6:00pm local time.
On March 11, Phuket International Airport in Thailand shut down its runway to remove a disabled Air India Express aircraft following a malfunction during landing. The incident involved Flight AXB938, also referred to as IX 938, which departed from Hyderabad, India, at 6:42am local time, 22 minutes later than its scheduled 6:20am takeoff. The Boeing 737 Max 8 landed at 11:40am local time and hit the runway, damaging its landing gear.
The airport confirmed in a statement that the plane sustained damage to its landing gear. An Air India Express spokesperson stated that the aircraft “experienced an issue with the nose wheel at Phuket airport,” adding: “The crew followed all standard protocols, and guests were deplaned.” The airline further confirmed to NDTV: “We confirm that our Hyderabad-Phuket flight on March 11 experienced an issue with the nose wheel at Phuket airport. The crew followed all standard protocols, and guests were deplaned.”
No injuries were reported among the 133 passengers on board. An image shared on X by Thai state broadcaster MCOT depicted part of the aircraft’s landing gear, with a wheel missing and in direct contact with the runway, accompanied by a long, swerving skid mark on the tarmac.
Phuket airport, one of Thailand’s busiest gateways handling hundreds of daily flights from regions including the Middle East, Europe, Asia, and domestic routes, anticipated the runway's reopening by 6:00pm local time (11:00 GMT). Air India Group, which includes the flag carrier Air India and budget provider Air India Express, operates a fleet of over 100 Boeing and Airbus aircraft.
The incident occurs amid broader scrutiny of Air India Group's safety practices, though no direct link to past issues was mentioned in relation to this event.
