An Air India flight from Phuket to New Delhi received an onboard bomb threat on Friday, prompting an emergency landing on the island, airport authorities confirmed.
All 156 passengers on flight AI 379 had been escorted from the plane, in line with emergency plans, an Airports of Thailand official said.
The aircraft took off from Phuket airport bound for the Indian capital at 9.30 a.m. (0230 GMT) on Friday, but made a wide loop around the Andaman Sea and landed back on the southern Thai island, according to flight tracker Flightradar24.
The incident follows the crash of an Air India flight in Ahmedabad on Thursday shortly after takeoff, in which more than 240 people were killed.
AOT did not provide details on the bomb threat. Air India did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Indian airlines and airports were inundated with hoax bomb threats last year, with nearly 1,000 hoax calls and messages received in the first 10 months, nearly 10 times that of 2023.
AI171 Disaster
A devastating aviation tragedy struck India on Thursday when an Air India aircraft crashed shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, claiming at least 265 lives.
The London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft, carrying 242 people, including 230 passengers and 12 crew members, crashed onto a medical college hostel during lunch hour, causing deaths on the ground as well, which local media has put as high as 24, which includes five medical students.
Eyewitnesses described a thunderous explosion followed by thick plumes of smoke rising above the city.
Emergency services rushed to the scene, battling flames and sifting through debris to locate survivors.
Rescue teams continued operations into the night, searching for missing persons and recovering charred remains and aircraft parts from the wreckage.
Air India on Thursday night confirmed that 241 of 242 people onboard the flight were killed in the accident, while there was a lone survivor.
Investigation Initiated
Flightradar24 data confirmed the aircraft’s abrupt loss of altitude, prompting questions about potential mechanical failure or pilot error. Aviation authorities have launched a full investigation, and Air India has grounded similar aircraft in its fleet as a precaution.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy, offering condolences to the families of the victims and promising all necessary support.
This marks the deadliest aviation disaster globally in over a decade.
(With inputs from Reuters)
