An Air India flight en route from Phuket, Thailand to Delhi was forced to make an emergency landing on Friday after a bomb threat was discovered onboard. According to a Reuters report citing officials from Phuket International Airport, the flight AI 379 safely landed back in Phuket after the pilot made a mid-air U-turn following the alert.
“During the cruising phase of the flight a security alert was received after which the pilot took a mid-air turn back to Phuket,” an airport official said.
The aircraft, carrying 156 passengers, departed Phuket around 9:30 AM local time but turned around over the Andaman Sea, as confirmed by flight tracking service Flightradar24.
Passengers Evacuated and Plane Searched
Following the safe landing, passengers were evacuated in accordance with emergency procedures. Authorities conducted mandatory security checks on the aircraft at Phuket International Airport.
“Passengers were escorted from the plane, flight AI 379, in line with emergency plans,” an Airports of Thailand official confirmed.
During the initial inspection, authorities did not find any explosives onboard. However, officials questioned the passenger who discovered the threatening note during the flight.
Air India Yet to Respond; Threat Details Withheld
Airports of Thailand (AOT) has not released specific information regarding the nature of the threat, and Air India has yet to provide an official response to the incident.
This incident comes just a day after the tragic crash of another Air India aircraft in Ahmedabad, where over 240 people lost their lives after the plane crashed shortly after takeoff. Though unrelated, the back-to-back incidents have raised concerns regarding aviation safety.
Rise in Hoax Threats Targeting Indian Aviation
The aviation sector in India has faced a surge in bomb hoaxes recently. According to reports, Indian airlines and airports received nearly 1,000 hoax bomb threats in the first ten months of the previous year — a number nearly 10 times higher than that of 2023.
Though this particular threat turned out to be a false alarm, the quick action taken by the Air India crew and Phuket airport authorities ensured the safety of all onboard and highlighted the importance of swift responses to potential threats in the aviation industry.