PHUKET, June 13 (Alliance News): An Air India flight bound for New Delhi was forced to make an emergency landing in Phuket on Friday after receiving a bomb threat mid-air, Thai airport authorities confirmed.
Flight AI 379, carrying 156 passengers, departed Phuket International Airport at 9:30 a.m. local time but turned back after circling over the Andaman Sea.
The aircraft landed safely, and all passengers were evacuated in accordance with emergency protocols, according to Airports of Thailand (AOT) officials.
No further details have been released regarding the nature of the threat. Air India has yet to issue an official statement.
The incident occurred just a day after a tragic Air India crash in Ahmedabad that claimed over 240 lives, raising fresh concerns over aviation safety.
Flight tracking data from Flightradar24 confirmed the aircraft’s unusual flight path, showing a wide loop before returning to Phuket.
India’s aviation sector has seen a sharp rise in hoax bomb threats, with nearly 1,000 false alarms reported in the first ten months of last year — nearly ten times the number recorded in 2023.
Thai and Indian authorities are investigating the latest threat as part of heightened regional aviation security measures.
