Hyderabad:An Air India Express aircraft faced a technical issue after landing at Phuket International Airport on Wednesday when its nose wheel broke during the landing. The incident occurred on flight IX938, which was operating from Hyderabad to Phuket. All passengers and crew members onboard the aircraft were reported safe.

According to sources, the aircraft’s nose wheel broke while landing, causing the plane to remain stuck on the runway. Passengers were safely deboarded soon after the incident, and the aircraft was later towed to a hangar for inspection and maintenance. The aircraft has now been grounded at the airport while technical checks are carried out.

Around 135 passengers and six crew members were on board the flight at the time of the incident. According to flight tracking data, the aircraft departed from Hyderabad at around 6:10 am and landed in Phuket at approximately 11:24 am.

The airline has informed the Directorate General of Civil Aviation about the incident, and an investigation is underway.

In a statement, the airline confirmed the technical problem but said all safety procedures were followed. “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 guests were deplaned. We thank our guests, the Phuket airport authorities, and all stakeholders for their cooperation,” an Air India Express spokesperson said.

According to flightradar, Phuket airport is closed till 11:00 UTC. In an X post, "The only runway at Phuket Airport is closed after a landing incident involving Air India Express flight #IX938 (Boeing 737 MAX 8 with registration VT-BWQ) The aircraft landed at 04:24 UTC and pictures in social media show the aircraft on the runway with it's front landing gear damaged. According to NOTAM the runway will remain remain closed until 11:00 UTC."

Phuket Airport issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) from 12:08 PM to 6:00 PM to announce the temporary closure of the runway

Shafali Nigam is a Senior Correspondent with the Times Group, covering civil aviation, education, women and child affairs, and politics. With over sev...View More

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