NEW DELHI, India — An Air India Express aircraft experienced a technical problem after landing at Phuket International Airport on Wednesday, prompting a temporary suspension of flight operations at the airport.
The airline said its Hyderabad-to-Phuket flight, IX 938, encountered an issue with the aircraft’s nose wheel shortly after landing in Thailand.
The flight had departed from Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad and landed safely at Phuket International Airport at about 11:40 a.m. local time, according to data from flight tracking service Flightradar24. The aircraft took off at 6:42 a.m., slightly later than its scheduled departure time of 6:20 a.m.
Air India Express confirmed the incident in a statement, noting that the problem occurred once the aircraft reached Phuket.
“We confirm that our Hyderabad-Phuket flight on 11 March experienced an issue with the nose wheel at Phuket Airport,” the airline said.
“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 added.
The nose wheel is an important component of an aircraft’s landing gear system and helps the plane steer and maneuver while on the ground.
Local reports said airport authorities temporarily halted other flight operations after the aircraft became stuck on the runway. The suspension was implemented as a precaution while officials worked to resolve the situation.
The airline said all passengers were safely deplaned after the aircraft came to a stop. The number of passengers on board the Boeing 737 MAX 8 was not immediately known.
In a separate incident last December, Air India Express said a flight operating between Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam was cancelled after the pilot detected a technical issue before departure. (Source: IANS)
