Hyderabad, March 11: An Air India Express flight from Hyderabad made a hard landing at Phuket International Airport in Thailand on Wednesday, damaging the aircraft’s nose landing gear and forcing authorities to shut the runway for nearly six hours.

Flight IX938, carrying 133 passengers, landed safely despite the technical issue. All passengers were safely deplaned, and no injuries were reported, officials confirmed.

Initial reports indicated that the aircraft’s nose landing gear was damaged during landing, leading to the hard touchdown. Airport authorities temporarily suspended runway operations to assess the situation and ensure the runway was safe for other flights.

In a statement, Air India Express said the Hyderabad to Phuket flight experienced a nose wheel issue after landing, but the crew followed all safety protocols. Mumbai Airport Declares Full Emergency After SpiceJet Q400 Plane Loses Outer Wheel During Takeoff at Kandla; Plane Makes Safe Landing at CSMIA (Video).

Air India Express Flight From Hyderabad Makes Hard Landing at Phuket Airport

“We confirm that on March 11, our Hyderabad–Phuket flight encountered an issue with the nose wheel at Phuket Airport. The crew followed all standard protocols, and all passengers were safely deplaned. We thank our guests, Phuket airport authorities, and all stakeholders for their cooperation,” the airline said. Air India Flight AI174 From San Francisco to Delhi Makes Precautionary Landing in Mongolia Due to Technical Issue.

Later, Phuket International Airport confirmed that efforts were underway to remove the disabled aircraft from the runway. As of 1:30 pm local time, recovery operations were in progress, and authorities expected the runway to reopen after 6 pm.

Airport officials also advised passengers with scheduled flights to check their flight status with airlines before travelling, apologising for inconvenience caused due to the temporary closure.

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(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 11, 2026 02:30 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).