In a tense 24 hours for Indian aviation, an Air India flight en route from Phuket to New Delhi was forced to make an emergency landing on Friday following a bomb threat. Flight AI 379, which had departed from Phuket at 9:30 a.m. local time, turned around mid-air and safely landed back on the island after circling over the Andaman Sea.
Airport officials confirmed that all 156 passengers were safely evacuated from the aircraft without injuries. Emergency protocols were swiftly enacted, and the situation was brought under control, according to Thailand’s Airports of Thailand (AOT). Authorities have yet to disclose the nature of the threat or its source.
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This incident comes in the immediate aftermath of a catastrophic air crash in Ahmedabad just a day earlier. A London-bound Air India Dreamliner crashed into a residential area on Thursday, killing at least 265 people, including those on the ground. One passenger is believed to have miraculously survived. Witnesses described a horrifying scene, with parts of the aircraft lodged in buildings and flames engulfing the area.
The twin incidents have cast a shadow over Indian air travel, raising concerns about safety and security. In 2023, Indian airlines received nearly 1,000 hoax bomb threats — a troubling trend that continues to strain aviation resources and traveler confidence.
Investigations are underway into both the bomb threat and the Ahmedabad crash, as officials and rescue teams work tirelessly to uncover what went wrong and to prevent further tragedies.
