Air India Flight Makes Emergency Landing After Passenger Finds Bomb Threat Note

An Air India flight bound for Delhi from Phuket, Thailand, was forced to make an emergency landing on Friday morning following a bomb threat received onboard, according to a report by Reuters quoting airport officials.

Flight AI 379, carrying 156 passengers, had taken off from Phuket International Airport at 9:30 AM local time. However, shortly after departure, the aircraft made a wide loop over the Andaman Sea and returned to Phuket, where it landed safely.

Upon landing, emergency protocols were activated. All passengers were safely escorted off the aircraft as Thai authorities initiated a thorough security check. A preliminary search of the plane did not uncover any explosives.

Airport officials confirmed that a passenger had discovered a note containing the bomb threat on the aircraft. That individual is currently being questioned by Thai authorities as part of the investigation.

The Airports of Thailand (AOT) confirmed the incident but did not provide further details on the nature of the threat. Air India has yet to release an official statement.

The incident comes just a day after a tragic Air India flight crash in Ahmedabad, which resulted in the deaths of more than 240 people.

Indian airlines and airports have been grappling with a surge in bomb threats over the past year, many of which have turned out to be hoaxes. Reports suggest that nearly 1,000 such false alarms were received in the first ten months of last year — nearly 10 times the figure from 2023.

Also Read: Air India Tragedy: US to Help Decode Boeing 787 Disaster in Ahmedabad