An IndiGo aircraft operating from Navi Mumbai to Srinagar came into contact with a Visual Docking Guidance System (VDGS) pole while being positioned at a parking bay at Srinagar Airport on Friday morning. The incident damaged the aircraft, but all passengers and crew members were reported safe.

The incident involved IndiGo flight 6E 225, operated by aircraft VT-NOG. According to airport authorities, the aircraft was being positioned at Bay No. 6 at around 9:02 am when it came into contact with the VDGS pole during the parking process. No injuries were reported.

Aircraft Hits Pole While Parking

The flight had arrived in Srinagar from Navi Mumbai and had already landed safely when the incident occurred during the subsequent parking manoeuvre.

The aircraft's forward section sustained damage after making contact with the pole. Passengers and crew were subsequently deboarded safely using manual mobile aircraft stairs.

Airport operations were not disrupted by the incident, with arrivals and departures continuing according to schedule, officials said. 

All Passengers and Crew Safe

The immediate priority following the incident was to safely evacuate everyone on board. Airport authorities confirmed that there were no reported injuries among passengers or crew.

IndiGo also said the aircraft had landed safely and that passengers and crew had deplaned. The airline said relevant authorities were informed and that the matter was being investigated in accordance with established procedures. 

The incident therefore remained a ground-handling and parking-related event rather than an accident during flight.

What Is VDGS?

The Visual Docking Guidance System is installed at aircraft parking stands to help pilots position an aircraft accurately within a designated bay.

The system provides visual information that assists with alignment and stopping at the appropriate position. Because it is located within the parking area, contact with a VDGS structure can cause damage to an aircraft even after a flight has completed its landing.

In this case, the aircraft came into contact with the VDGS pole while being positioned at Bay No. 6. 

Cause Yet to Be Determined

Authorities have not established the cause of the incident. The Airport Authority of India said the details and circumstances leading to the contact would be examined by the competent authorities.

Officials have specifically indicated that no conclusion about the cause should be drawn before the inquiry is completed. This means factors such as aircraft alignment, visibility, docking-system indications, ground procedures or other operational issues cannot currently be identified as the reason for the incident.

An investigation report has been sought to establish what led to the aircraft making contact with the pole. 

Srinagar Airport Operations Normal

Despite the damage to the aircraft, airport operations continued normally following the incident. There were no reported disruptions to scheduled arrivals and departures as a result of the event.

The affected aircraft is expected to undergo appropriate inspection before any further operation. The extent of the damage and its impact on the aircraft's serviceability will be determined through the technical assessment.

The incident comes amid heightened attention on aviation safety after several recent IndiGo operational incidents, including a Goa-Delhi flight that returned to the airport shortly after take-off because of a reported technical issue and a Doha-Bengaluru flight that was diverted to Muscat after its pilot became unwell. 

For now, authorities are focused on determining the circumstances surrounding the Srinagar ground incident, while passenger safety and normal airport operations remain unaffected.

A preliminary investigation into the August 4 Air India Phuket-Delhi flight incident has found a sequential failure of all three hydraulic systems of the Airbus A320neo, while the pilot-in-command (PIC) was also found non-negative for a psychoactive substance in post-flight testing.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has recommended that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) take appropriate action regarding the toxicology finding. The investigation into the technical failure, the aircraft’s sudden altitude change and the circumstances surrounding the incident is continuing, and the preliminary findings do not establish that the pilot’s test result caused the aircraft’s loss of altitude. 

Flight Lost Around 300 Feet of Altitude

Air India flight AI 2379 was operating from Phuket to New Delhi on August 4 with 145 people on board, including 137 passengers and eight crew members.

During cruise over Odisha, the aircraft experienced a rapid sequence of failures involving its primary hydraulic systems. The Green system failed first, followed shortly by the Blue and Yellow systems. The hydraulic pressure subsequently returned, allowing the pilots to regain normal control of the aircraft.

The aircraft briefly climbed before descending by roughly 292 feet from its cruising level. The sudden change in altitude caused people inside the cabin to be thrown around, resulting in multiple injuries.

Three Hydraulic Systems Failed

The Airbus A320neo uses three hydraulic systems to operate important flight-control functions. The preliminary findings indicate that the three systems lost pressure in quick succession during the incident.

The failure also caused the autopilot to disengage and triggered cockpit warnings, creating a critical situation for the flight crew. Earlier technical assessments had similarly pointed to a rare triple-hydraulic failure as the key mechanical issue behind the sudden altitude change. 

The aircraft had also been operating under a Minimum Equipment List provision because of an inoperative Power Transfer Unit (PTU), according to the preliminary report details reported on Friday. Investigators are examining the relationship, if any, between the aircraft's existing technical condition and the subsequent hydraulic failures. 

Pilot's Psychoactive Substance Test Raises Concern

The preliminary report has separately highlighted the toxicology findings involving the pilot-in-command.

Because the flight originated outside India, both pilots underwent mandatory post-flight medical screening. Both reportedly cleared the alcohol breathalyser test. However, the PIC's initial screening for psychoactive substances returned a non-negative result, while the co-pilot's test was negative. A subsequent confirmatory laboratory test also found the PIC to be non-negative for a psychoactive substance. 

AAIB described the confirmation as a serious safety concern and recommended appropriate action by DGCA on priority.

Reports published earlier in August had also said that a confirmatory test had detected marijuana in the pilot's sample. However, the investigation has not established that the substance finding was responsible for the aircraft's technical malfunction or altitude loss. 

24 People Needed Medical Attention

The sudden aircraft movement occurred while the seat-belt signs were switched off. According to the preliminary findings, 24 people — 20 passengers and four cabin crew members — required medical attention after the incident.

Twenty people were treated and discharged for minor injuries, while four were hospitalised with more serious injuries. 

The aircraft continued its journey to Delhi after the hydraulic pressure was restored and landed safely. The incident therefore resulted in injuries inside the cabin but no crash or loss of the aircraft.

Turbulence Account Under Scrutiny

The incident was initially described as involving turbulence. Air India's first statement referred to brief in-flight turbulence and a momentary change in altitude, while a later statement described it as a sudden loss of altitude during cruise.

The subsequent identification of the triple-hydraulic-system failure shifted attention towards the aircraft's technical systems. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation had earlier described the incident as involving a suspected transient technical fault. 

Investigators are continuing to examine flight-data and cockpit information to establish exactly how the hydraulic failures occurred and how the aircraft responded during those critical seconds.

Final Report Will Establish Cause

AAIB's current findings are preliminary and should not be treated as the final explanation for the incident.

The investigation is examining both the aircraft's technical failures and the circumstances surrounding the flight crew. A key question is whether any human-factor issue contributed to the event, while the technical investigation seeks to determine why all three hydraulic systems lost pressure in such rapid succession.

The final report is expected to provide a more complete assessment of the sequence of events and any safety recommendations arising from the incident.

An Air India Airbus A320 flying from Phuket to Delhi suffered a sudden loss of altitude after multiple cockpit warnings indicated a possible stall, with an internal safety report revealing that the aircraft also recorded abnormal indications across its hydraulic systems.

Flight AI-2379, carrying 137 passengers and eight crew members, was operating on August 4 when the aircraft abruptly lost about 300 feet of altitude during cruise. At least 20 passengers and four crew members were injured in the incident.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has classified the episode as a serious incident, while the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is examining what caused the aircraft to pitch sharply upward before the pilots carried out a stall-recovery manoeuvre.

Stall warning triggered

According to an internal Air India Flight Safety report accessed by NDTV, the captain was standing behind the first officer's seat and discussing the aircraft's air-conditioning system when multiple warnings appeared in the cockpit.

The aircraft's autopilot disengaged and its nose pitched upward. At the same time, aural warnings and alerts on the Electronic Centralised Aircraft Monitor (ECAM) indicated a stall condition.

The first officer, who was flying the aircraft at the time, responded with a standard stall-recovery action by pushing the nose down to regain airspeed.

The manoeuvre resulted in a sharp negative-g excursion, briefly causing the aircraft to experience conditions in which occupants and loose objects in the cockpit became effectively weightless.

Aircraft descended 300 feet

The captain's account in the report describes being thrown upward along with loose objects in the cockpit. He reportedly helped steady the first officer before moving back towards his seat.

Once strapped in, the captain took control of the aircraft and applied maximum continuous thrust to arrest the loss of airspeed and altitude.

The aircraft ultimately lost a maximum of approximately 300 feet before recovering.

An amber warning subsequently indicated that the aircraft had exceeded its negative-1g structural limit during the event.

Multiple hydraulic warnings recorded

The incident took a more serious turn when engineering data showed unusual indications from the aircraft's three hydraulic systems.

According to the report, the aircraft recorded low-pressure indications involving the Green, Blue and Yellow hydraulic systems within the same minute. The systems are designed to operate independently and provide redundancy for critical aircraft functions.

The aircraft also recorded an elevator fault and autopilot disengagement.

Investigators are examining whether a problem involving the elevator or hydraulic systems contributed to the sudden pitch-up that preceded the stall warning.

Hydraulic systems are crucial to an aircraft because pressurised hydraulic fluid powers several major functions, including flight-control surfaces, landing gear and braking systems.

Additional cockpit cautions appeared

After the aircraft stabilised, the crew notified air traffic control and began checking the various warnings.

A "door arm forward emergency" caution appeared on the ECAM and reportedly reappeared twice. The pilots followed the relevant manufacturer procedures and checklists before determining that the warnings could have been spurious.

A separate transient hydraulic caution was also recorded and cleared through the aircraft's reset procedure.

The pilots eventually decided to continue to Delhi and landed the aircraft safely.

Passengers and crew injured

Following the incident, the captain left the cockpit to assess the condition of passengers and crew members.

He was informed that several passengers and two cabin crew members had suffered serious injuries. Some cabin equipment was also damaged during the sudden aircraft movement.

The crew requested an ambulance, medical personnel and orthopaedic specialists to be available after landing. They also requested a parking position closer to the runway exit to facilitate the evacuation of injured passengers.

The aircraft eventually landed safely in Delhi.

AAIB, DGCA investigating incident

The AAIB has begun a detailed investigation into the incident under the framework of Annex 13 of the International Civil Aviation Organisation.

Airbus and France's Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety (BEA) are providing technical assistance.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation said investigators are examining technical, operational, medical and human-factor evidence. This includes aircraft systems, recorded flight data, maintenance records, medical information and interviews with people connected to the incident.

The ministry has stressed that no final conclusion should be drawn until all available evidence has been examined.

Pilot drug-test reports emerge

The investigation has also drawn attention to the pilots' mandatory post-flight psychoactive substance screening.

According to sources cited in media reports, the first officer tested negative, while the captain reportedly failed two tests for marijuana.

Both pilots have reportedly been removed from flight duty pending further investigation.

The reported test results are separate from the technical investigation into the aircraft's sudden pitch-up, hydraulic indications and loss of altitude. Investigators are expected to examine all relevant operational and human factors before determining the cause of the incident.

Air India and ministry under scrutiny

Air India's outgoing CEO Campbell Wilson met senior Ministry of Civil Aviation officials following the incident.

Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said aviation safety remains the ministry's highest priority and that the incident was being taken seriously.

The investigation will now focus on whether the aircraft's hydraulic and elevator indications were connected to the sudden pitch change, why the stall warning was triggered and whether any additional technical or human factors contributed to the event.

Until the AAIB completes its investigation, the precise cause of the 300-foot descent remains under examination.

The investigation into the Air India Phuket-Delhi flight that suddenly lost around 300 feet of altitude on August 4 has shifted attention from initial speculation about turbulence and the pilot's drug test to a possible chain of technical failures involving the aircraft's hydraulic and flight-control systems.

Air India flight AI2379, an Airbus A320 carrying 137 passengers and crew, was flying towards New Delhi when the sudden altitude change occurred roughly two-and-a-half hours after departure from Phuket. The incident left 17 people injured and prompted a formal investigation by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB).

While the exact cause remains under investigation, reports citing sources familiar with the probe have pointed to triple hydraulic-system failures, an autopilot disconnect and other temporary system indications on board the aircraft.

What Happened Mid-Flight?

The aircraft had reportedly been flying normally before the sudden incident. Passengers described an abrupt disturbance followed by intense shaking and a rapid drop in altitude.

Some passengers reported that cabin baggage and other objects were thrown around during the episode. Crew members instructed passengers to fasten their seatbelts as the aircraft experienced the sudden change.

The aircraft subsequently continued its journey and landed in Delhi, where injured passengers and crew members received medical attention.

The AAIB is investigating the sequence of events under the applicable international aviation investigation framework.

Focus Turns to Hydraulic Systems

One of the most significant developments in the investigation is the reported failure of all three hydraulic systems.

Aircraft hydraulic systems use pressurised fluid to operate and assist several critical components, including flight-control surfaces and other mechanical systems. Modern commercial aircraft are designed with multiple levels of redundancy, making a simultaneous failure of all three hydraulic systems an unusual event.

According to reports citing aviation sources, the cockpit crew responded to the problem by manually controlling the aircraft and temporarily changing its flight path or altitude.

The reported 300-foot descent may therefore have been part of the crew's response to the technical problem rather than an uncontrolled plunge.

Why Did the Aircraft Lose Altitude?

The precise sequence remains unclear.

Reports indicate that the aircraft's autopilot disconnected during the incident, requiring the co-pilot to regain manual control. Several cockpit indicators or switches were also reportedly observed to change temporarily.

If confirmed by investigators, the combination of hydraulic-system problems and an autopilot disconnect could help explain why the aircraft experienced a sudden change in altitude.

However, investigators will need to establish whether the hydraulic failures occurred simultaneously, whether one system failure triggered another and how the aircraft's flight-control systems responded.

What About the Pilot's Drug Test?

The pilot's initial psychoactive-substance screening has also attracted attention.

The Civil Aviation Ministry said the initial screening produced a result that required further analysis and that a confirmatory test was being conducted. The final result had not been established at the time of the reports provided.

The Airline Pilots Association of India has also pointed out that some commonly used medicines can potentially affect preliminary screening results.

Therefore, the initial "non-negative" screening should not be treated as proof that the pilot was intoxicated or that it caused the altitude loss.

Investigators will have to consider the confirmatory test alongside cockpit recordings, aircraft data and other evidence.

Turbulence Theory Also Under Review

Turbulence was initially cited in Air India's description of the incident. However, subsequent statements reportedly did not place the same emphasis on turbulence.

This has raised questions about whether turbulence was actually responsible for the altitude loss or whether the aircraft's technical problems played the central role.

Only the formal investigation can establish whether turbulence, a technical malfunction or a combination of factors contributed to the event.

Airbus Joins the Investigation

Aircraft manufacturer Airbus is assisting the investigation.

The company has said it is providing technical assistance to the relevant authorities in accordance with ICAO Annex 13 and is sending specialists to support the probe.

Investigators are expected to examine the aircraft's flight-data recorder, cockpit voice recorder, maintenance records and relevant system data. These sources should help establish exactly what happened inside the aircraft during the critical seconds.

The investigation will also examine whether the reported hydraulic failures occurred before or after the altitude change and how the cockpit crew responded.

What Happens Next?

At this stage, several explanations remain possible, but none has been conclusively established.

The investigation will need to determine the relationship between the reported triple hydraulic failure, autopilot disconnect, cockpit indications, the aircraft's 300-foot altitude change and the injuries sustained inside the cabin.

The pilot's confirmatory test will also be important in determining whether the preliminary screening has any relevance to the incident.

Until the AAIB completes its investigation, claims that the aircraft plunged because of pilot intoxication or turbulence remain unproven.

For passengers, however, the incident has once again highlighted the importance of keeping seatbelts fastened throughout a flight, including when the aircraft appears to be flying normally.

An Alaska Airlines flight from Miami to Seattle was briefly disrupted on Sunday after pilots reported that passengers had allegedly made threats to take control of the aircraft during taxiing.

The crew responded by securing the cockpit and returning the aircraft to the gate, where law enforcement officers removed two passengers from the flight. The aircraft was later cleared to continue its journey after the passengers were taken into custody.

The incident involved Alaska Airlines Flight 305, which was preparing for take-off from Miami when the crew reported the disturbance.

Pilots Activate Cockpit Lockdown

According to an exchange between the flight crew and air traffic control published by aviation monitoring outlet Enhanced Radar, the pilots informed controllers that they were dealing with a serious passenger disturbance.

The crew said threats had been made toward flight attendants and requested to follow the airline's lockdown procedure.

The pilot told ground control that the aircraft's parking brake had been set and the engines were being shut down while the crew dealt with the situation.

The pilots subsequently reported that a passenger had allegedly threatened to take control of the aircraft after making the statement to a flight attendant.

Given the nature of the allegation, the crew decided to return to the gate rather than continue the flight.

Two Passengers Removed

Once the aircraft reached the gate, passengers were temporarily asked to leave the plane while authorities responded to the incident.

Two passengers identified by the crew as being involved in the disturbance were removed and taken into custody by law enforcement.

The airline later confirmed that both passengers had been temporarily prohibited from flying with Alaska Airlines.

After the situation was assessed, the remaining passengers were allowed to reboard and Flight 305 eventually departed for Seattle.

Airline Confirms Disruption

Alaska Airlines confirmed that two passengers had behaved disruptively while the aircraft was taxiing on August 9.

The airline said the aircraft returned to the gate, where law enforcement officers met the flight and removed the two individuals.

The carrier stressed that the safety of passengers and crew remained its primary concern and apologised for the delay caused by the incident.

The flight ultimately completed its journey to Seattle.

Police Find No Credible Threat

Despite the seriousness of the initial report, police later determined that there was no credible threat to the aircraft.

The two individuals who had been detained were subsequently rebooked on another flight.

The finding suggests that while the comments triggered an immediate security response, investigators did not establish evidence of an actual attempt or capability to hijack the aircraft.

Why Such Threats Trigger Immediate Action

Threats to seize control of an aircraft are treated extremely seriously because of the potential consequences for everyone on board.

Flight crews are trained to respond to suspicious behaviour and threats by following established security procedures, even when it is not immediately clear whether the threat is genuine.

In this case, the pilots chose to stop the aircraft, secure the cockpit and return to the gate rather than take any unnecessary risk.

The incident also demonstrates how aviation security procedures can cause significant delays even when an initial threat is later found to be unsubstantiated.

For passengers on Flight 305, the disruption ended without further escalation, and the aircraft eventually resumed its scheduled journey to Seattle.

Kuala Lumpur Airways Flight Receives Bomb Threat, Hyderabad Airport on High Alert

Third Such Scare in Four Days

A Kuala Lumpur Airways flight arriving at Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport from the Netherlands landed safely on Saturday after authorities received a bomb threat via email. The message claimed an explosive device was onboard and could detonate at any time.

The aircraft, which originated from Amsterdam, was already in Indian airspace when the alert was triggered. Airport security was immediately placed on high alert, with personnel from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and local police mobilised across the terminal and cargo areas.

Officials confirmed the plane touched down without incident. All passengers were disembarked safely, and the aircraft has been moved to an isolation bay for a thorough inspection.

Growing Pattern of Hoax Warnings

This marks the third bomb threat targeting flights to or from Hyderabad in just four days. On Friday evening around 6:30 pm, an email warned that an AirAsia flight arriving from Malaysia would be blown up before landing. Security teams swept the aircraft and the airport premises but found nothing suspicious.

Earlier on Thursday, a similar threat was logged against a Lufthansa flight coming from Frankfurt, Germany. In that instance too, the warning turned out to be false.

Authorities are now examining whether the same individual or group is behind the recent emails. Investigators are tracing IP addresses and email metadata, though preliminary indications suggest the senders may have used anonymising tools.

Previous Incidents This Year

The spate of hoax calls is not entirely new to Hyderabad’s aviation hub. In January this year, an email to airport customer support claimed a bomb was onboard IndiGo flight 6E 1422 arriving from Sharjah. That flight also landed safely.

Beyond Hyderabad, at least three other bomb scare incidents have been reported across Indian airports in recent months. On November 12, an Air India Express flight from Mumbai to Varanasi made an emergency landing after receiving a threat. On September 19, a note found in the toilet of an Indigo flight from Mumbai to Phuket forced an emergency landing in Chennai. And on June 12, Air India flight AI-379 from Phuket to Delhi made an emergency landing in Thailand following a bomb alert.

Security Protocol and Cost Implications

Once a bomb threat is received, standard procedure requires the aircraft to be landed at the nearest airport, rather than continuing to its scheduled destination. The plane is then isolated, passengers evacuated, and a full sweep conducted by bomb disposal and sniffer dog squads.

Sources familiar with emergency response operations say each such incident can cost airlines and airports upwards of ₹3 crore. This includes additional fuel burn from unscheduled landings, rebooking passengers into hotels, fresh security screening, and potential flight cancellations.

For now, security has been heightened across all entry points at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport. Patrolling has been increased around the perimeter, and flyers have been advised to arrive earlier than usual for check-in.

What Happens Next

Investigators have registered a case under relevant aviation security laws. While no arrests have been made yet, authorities are reviewing CCTV footage and access logs from the past 72 hours. Officials have not ruled out the possibility of coordinated hoax attempts aimed at disrupting operations.

Meanwhile, Kuala Lumpur Airways has not issued an official statement, but ground staff confirmed that cooperation with security agencies remains ongoing. Passengers on the affected flight were provided transportation and refreshments before being processed for exit.

With three threats in four days, aviation security experts are calling for stricter monitoring of anonymous email platforms and faster international coordination to trace the origin of such messages.

A Swiss plane heading to Zurich was forced to abort take-off at Delhi Airport after one of its engines failed and caught fire late on Saturday night, triggering an emergency evacuation and leaving six passengers injured. The incident involved Swiss International Air Lines flight LX147, which was scheduled to depart from Indira Gandhi International Airport for Zurich with 232 people on board, including four newborns.

According to officials, the aircraft was preparing for departure at around 1.08 am when the crew detected a technical malfunction during take-off. The pilot immediately halted the aircraft on the runway after an engine failure led to signs of fire and smoke, prompting emergency response teams to rush to the spot.

Emergency evacuation launched

Airport authorities said all passengers and crew were evacuated using emergency slides after the aircraft came to a stop on the runway. Six passengers sustained minor injuries during the evacuation process and were provided immediate medical attention.

Officials confirmed that the aircraft was carrying 232 people, including passengers, crew members and four infants. No fatalities were reported. Emergency services responded within minutes and secured the aircraft before the situation escalated further.

The swift evacuation prevented a more serious outcome, according to airport officials familiar with the response. Operations at the affected section of the runway were temporarily disrupted as emergency checks were carried out.

Smoke seen from gear

Swiss International Air Lines said in an official statement that the aircraft involved was an Airbus A330. The airline said smoke was first noticed coming from the left-side landing gear as the aircraft moved into position for take-off.

“As soon as the aircraft entered the runway for departure, smoke was observed from the left landing gear area. The take-off was immediately aborted in line with standard safety protocol,” the airline said.

The carrier added that its local teams in Delhi were assisting affected passengers and coordinating with airport authorities. It said a technical team would examine the aircraft and determine the exact cause of the malfunction.

Airline begins probe

Swiss Air said it was working closely with Indian aviation authorities to assess the incident and support passengers affected by the disruption. The airline also said its technical experts would travel to Delhi to inspect the aircraft and assist in the investigation.

Sources indicated that the aircraft has been grounded pending inspection. Passengers were moved to the terminal and alternate arrangements were being explored for onward travel to Zurich.

As per reports, airline staff remained on site through the night to coordinate accommodation, meals and rebooking support for stranded passengers.

Second incident in 10 days

The latest Delhi Airport incident marks the second major aircraft safety scare at the airport in less than two weeks. On April 16, two aircraft one operated by SpiceJet and the other by Akasa Air  were involved in a ground collision at the same airport.

In that incident, a SpiceJet aircraft arriving from Leh reportedly struck an Akasa Air aircraft that was parked and preparing for departure to Hyderabad. The collision damaged both aircraft, though all passengers were safely deboarded and no injuries were reported.

The back-to-back incidents have renewed focus on operational safety and ground handling standards at one of India’s busiest airports.

Safety under scrutiny

The latest incident is likely to draw closer regulatory attention to aircraft maintenance, runway safety and emergency response systems at Delhi Airport. While aviation officials have not indicated any systemic lapse so far, two major incidents in quick succession may prompt a broader review.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation is expected to seek a detailed report on the Swiss plane incident as part of routine safety oversight. Aviation experts say such incidents, while rare, underline the importance of rapid crew response and emergency preparedness.

What happens next

A full technical inspection of the Swiss plane is now underway, and authorities are expected to review cockpit data, maintenance logs and runway response records. Swiss Air is likely to submit its preliminary findings after the aircraft is examined in coordination with Indian authorities.

Air India Express Hard Landing at Phuket Airport: Runway Closed for 5 Hours

An Air India Express flight from Hyderabad to Phuket made a hard landing at Phuket International Airport on Wednesday, March 11, triggering a five-hour runway closure. The incident happened around noon local time and quickly drew attention as one of the first major aviation events in Thailand this week. Luckily, every single person on board walked away unharmed.

The Boeing 737-800 aircraft (registration VT-BWQ) touched down at 11:24 am—16 minutes ahead of schedule. A detached wheel and damaged nose landing gear left the plane stuck on the runway. Airport teams moved fast to secure the area and begin removal work.

What Exactly Happened During the Hard Landing

The flight carried 131 passengers, including two infants, and seven crew members. According to initial checks, the hard landing caused the nose wheel issue. Air India Express confirmed the problem in a short statement: “We confirm that our Hyderabad-Phuket flight on 11 March experienced an issue with the nose wheel at Phuket Airport. The crew followed all standard protocols, and passengers were safely deplaned.”

No smoke, fire, or panic was reported. Passengers were calmly escorted to the terminal waiting area within minutes. The airline praised the crew’s quick thinking and the airport staff’s professional handling.

Phuket Airport Response and Runway Closure

Phuket International Airport issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) closing the runway from 12:08 pm to 6 pm local time. The five-hour shutdown allowed teams to tow the aircraft and complete safety inspections. Several incoming flights circled nearby airspace or diverted to alternate airports, causing minor delays for travellers.

Airport officials say normal operations have now resumed, but they urge passengers to check flight status before heading to the airport. Anyone affected by the Air India Express hard landing at Phuket Airport should contact the airline directly for rebooking or refund options.

Why This Incident Matters Right Now

Phuket remains one of India’s favourite holiday destinations, with thousands of tourists flying in daily. Even though hard landings are rare, they remind everyone how important safety checks and crew training are. Modern Boeing 737 aircraft are built to handle tough landings, and today’s outcome proves those systems work.

Travel experts note that such events rarely lead to injuries when protocols are followed—which they clearly were here. For Indian travellers heading to Thailand this season, the news highlights one simple tip: always keep your phone charged and the airline app open for real-time alerts.

What Passengers Should Do Next

If your flight was delayed or diverted because of the Phuket Airport runway closure, reach out to Air India Express customer care right away. Most passengers on the affected Hyderabad-Phuket service have already been accommodated on later flights or given hotel vouchers where needed.

No further technical details have been released yet, and the airline has promised a full investigation. For now, the focus remains on the safe return of all 133 passengers and crew.

This Air India Express hard landing at Phuket Airport was handled smoothly and quickly. It caused temporary disruption but zero injuries—a clear win for aviation safety standards in 2026. Stay tuned for more updates as the official report comes in.