BREAKING: Hyderabad-Phuket Air India Express Flight Suffers Hard Landing; Tyre Comes Off, Aircraft Nose and Landing Gear Damaged

BREAKING: An Air India Express flight from Hyderabad to Phuket suffered a hard landing at Thailand’s Phuket Airport on Wednesday, causing damage to the aircraft’s nose and landing gear. Although the flight was scheduled to land at 11:40 AM but it landed before time at 11:24 AM. 

The Phuket Airport authorities were forced to temporarily shut the runway to remove the disabled Air India Express plane after it experienced a malfunction upon landing. 

The incident involved Air India Express flight AXB938, a Boeing 737-800 (registration VT-BWQ) operating from Hyderabad (HYD) to Phuket (HKT). The aircraft had 131 passengers onboard, including seven crew members and two infants.

The Phuket Airport (PHK) issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) from 12:08 PM to 6:00 PM to announce the temporary closure of the runway on March 11, 2026, as it clarified a runway malfunction experienced by the Air India Express aircraft.

Phuket International Airport (HKT), in a clarification issued shortly after the incident, confirmed the aircraft malfunction on the runway. It also assured that no injuries were reported and that all safety standard protocols are being followed.

Airport authorities said they are coordinating with relevant agencies to manage the situation. They have advised the passengers affected by the disruption to contact their airlines directly to check flight status and travel details before heading to the airport, in order to avoid missing their flights.

The Air India Express spokesperson too issued a statement. “We confirm that our Hyderabad-Phuket flight on March 11 experienced an issue with the nose wheel at Phuket Airport. The crew followed all standard protocols, and guests were deplaned,” the statement read. 

What passenger onboard said

One of the passenger Minal Ahuja who was onboard the Phuket flight, in an exclusive conversation with Republic, narrated the harrowing ordeal.

The passenger on being asked about what the impact felt like stated, "It was not an expected landing. We were looking for a very smooth landing. We were right there around the beach because I  have seen in the videos that whenever a flight lands on the airport, it starts from the beach  and then come to the runway. But as soon as the aircraft touches the runway, they felt the bounces like two, three times."

Adding further he said, “It was like we were kind of flying from the seats and then coming down. So it was a very, very harsh landing.”