On Wednesday, Phuket airport announced the temporary closure of its runway to facilitate the removal of a disabled Air India Express aircraft that encountered a malfunction upon landing.
The incident involved Air India Express Flight AXB938, which had arrived from Hyderabad and suffered damage to its landing gear as it made contact with the runway, according to a statement from the airport.
A spokesperson for Air India Express confirmed, “The plane experienced an issue with the nose wheel at Phuket Airport,” and noted that the crew adhered to all standard procedures, allowing passengers to deplane safely.
Fortunately, there were no reported injuries, and the airport indicated that operations would resume by 6 p.m. local time (1100 GMT).
Images shared on X by Thai state broadcaster MCOT depicted the aircraft’s landing gear, showing a missing wheel resting on the runway alongside a long skid mark.
Air India Express, the low-cost subsidiary of Air India, operates a fleet of over 100 Boeing and Airbus aircraft.
In March of the previous year, India’s aviation regulator criticized Air India Express for failing to replace engine components on an Airbus A320 as mandated by the European Union’s aviation safety authority. Reports also emerged indicating the airline had falsified records to demonstrate compliance.
According to India’s civil aviation ministry, Air India Express recorded 95 technical defects from January to November last year, ranking it second among Indian airlines during that timeframe. Specific details regarding these issues were not disclosed.
Meanwhile, parent company Air India has faced increasing scrutiny in recent months due to a series of safety incidents, including a tragic crash in Ahmedabad last June that resulted in the deaths of 260 individuals.
Phuket remains one of Thailand’s most significant travel hubs, facilitating hundreds of daily flights from various regions including the Middle East, Europe, and Asia, alongside numerous domestic routes.
Source: DD News
