An Air India flight en route from Phuket to New Delhi was forced to make an emergency landing on Friday following a bomb threat, airport authorities in Thailand confirmed.
Flight AI 379, which departed from Phuket at 9:30 a.m. local time (0230 GMT), performed a wide turn over the Andaman Sea before returning to the island. Emergency procedures were swiftly enacted upon landing, with all 156 passengers safely evacuated. No injuries were reported, according to officials from Airports of Thailand (AOT).
The airline has not yet issued a formal statement, and AOT has declined to share further details regarding the nature or source of the threat.
This alarming incident comes just a day after a devastating crash involving another Air India flight in Ahmedabad. The London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner tragically crashed into a residential neighborhood on Thursday, claiming at least 265 lives, including passengers, crew, and people on the ground. One passenger is believed to have survived.
Eyewitnesses described harrowing scenes at the crash site. An AFP journalist reported seeing the aircraft’s tail section wedged into a building, while parts of the plane were scattered across the area. A nearby canteen, where students were dining, was also hit.
“A portion of the aircraft struck the residential complex where several doctors and their families lived,” said a local doctor who identified himself only as Krishna. “The front section landed on a canteen filled with students.”
The Indian government has launched a formal investigation into the crash. Rescue teams worked through the night, sifting through the wreckage with sniffer dogs in search of victims and any possible survivors.
Bomb threats targeting Indian aviation have surged in recent years. In 2023 alone, nearly 1,000 hoax bomb threats were recorded against Indian airlines and airports, raising serious concerns about aviation security.
As the investigation into the crash continues and authorities probe the latest bomb threat, both incidents underscore the increasing challenges to passenger safety in Indian airspace.
