Thailand's Phuket International Airport was forced to temporarily shut its runway on Wednesday following a serious incident involving an Air India Express aircraft. The budget carrier's flight, arriving from Hyderabad, India, experienced a malfunction during landing that resulted in significant damage to the plane's nose landing gear and the loss of a wheel.
Emergency Response and Runway Closure
Airport authorities confirmed that Air India Express Flight AXB938 made a hard landing at Phuket, one of Thailand's busiest tourist gateways. The impact caused the nose landing gear to fail, with one wheel detaching completely. Images shared on social media by Thai state broadcaster MCOT clearly show the damaged gear in direct contact with the runway surface, accompanied by a long, swerving skid mark on the tarmac.
A spokesperson for Air India Express stated the aircraft "experienced an issue with the nose wheel at Phuket Airport" and emphasized that "the crew followed all standard protocols, and guests were deplaned" safely. No injuries were reported among passengers or crew members.
Aviation Safety Concerns
This incident adds to growing concerns about Air India's safety record. The budget carrier's parent company, Air India, has faced intense scrutiny in recent months following a series of safety lapses and a catastrophic crash in Ahmedabad last June that claimed 260 lives.
According to India's civil aviation ministry, Air India Express reported 95 technical defects between January and November of last year, marking the second-highest number among Indian airlines during that period. While the ministry didn't provide specific details about these faults, the frequency raises questions about maintenance practices.
Furthermore, India's aviation watchdog reprimanded Air India Express in March last year for failing to change engine parts on an Airbus A320 as directed by the European Union's aviation safety agency. The airline was also criticized for falsifying records to show compliance with safety directives.
Operational Impact and Recovery
Phuket Airport, which handles hundreds of daily flights from the Middle East, Europe, Asia, and domestic routes, anticipated reopening the affected runway by 6 p.m. local time (1100 GMT) on Wednesday. The temporary closure required removal of the disabled aircraft and inspection of runway surfaces.
Air India Express operates a fleet of over 100 Boeing and Airbus aircraft as the budget arm of Air India. The airline's response to this incident will be closely monitored by aviation authorities as investigations into the landing gear failure commence.
This latest malfunction highlights ongoing challenges in India's aviation sector regarding maintenance standards and regulatory compliance, particularly as airlines expand their international operations to popular tourist destinations like Phuket.
