Air India Flight Makes Emergency Landing After Bomb Threat Amid National Aviation Crisis
An Air India flight from Phuket to New Delhi was forced to make an emergency landing on Friday following a bomb threat, airport authorities confirmed.
Flight AI 379 took off from Phuket at 9:30 a.m. local time (0230 GMT) but rerouted over the Andaman Sea and returned to the airport on Thailand’s southern island. All 156 passengers were safely evacuated after landing. No injuries were reported, and emergency protocols were executed promptly, according to Airports of Thailand (AOT).
The bomb threat adds to growing concerns over aviation security in India. Air India has not issued an official response, and AOT has not provided further details about the threat.
This incident came just one day after a devastating crash involving another Air India aircraft in Ahmedabad, India. A Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner en route to London crashed into a residential area on Thursday, killing at least 265 people, including residents on the ground. One passenger reportedly survived.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of destruction, with one half of the plane embedded in a residential building housing doctors and their families. The aircraft’s nose section landed on a nearby canteen where students were dining. Thick smoke and flames were visible for hours after the impact.
Rescue teams worked through the night, and the Indian government has launched a formal investigation into the crash.
Authorities have raised concerns over a surge in bomb threats targeting Indian airlines. In 2023 alone, nearly 1,000 hoax threats were recorded — a significant rise that is putting further pressure on the country’s aviation security.
NEWS DESK
PRESS UPDATE