An Air India Express aircraft operating the Hyderabad to Phuket service suffered a nose-wheel malfunction upon arrival at Phuket International Airport on Wednesday, leading to a temporary suspension of flight operations. Airport officials halted all movements after the Boeing 737-MAX 8 aircraft remained stranded on the runway following the incident. The airline said the number of passengers onboard the flight was not immediately available.ย
Airline confirms technical issue
In an official statement, Air India Express said, “We confirm that our Hyderabad-Phuket flight on March 11 experienced an issue with the nose wheel at Phuket Airport.” The nose wheel is a crucial part of an aircraft’s landing gear that ensures safe manoeuvring on the ground. The airline added that the crew followed all established procedures before safely deplaning passengers.
Flight timings and safety protocols
According to flight-tracking platform Flightradar24, Flight IX 938 departed Hyderabad at 6.42 am instead of its scheduled time of 6.20 am, reaching Phuket at 11.40 am local time. Air India Express further noted that, “The crew followed all standard protocols, and guests were deplaned.” Airport authorities are now working to clear the runway and restore normal operations.
Air India to operate 58 flights to and from West Asia
Meanwhile, full-service carrier Air India and its low-cost subsidiary Air India Express have said they will together operate a total of 58 scheduled and non-scheduled flights to and from West Asia on Wednesday. Amid the escalating conflict in the region involving the US, Israel and Iran, airlines are operating services in a calibrated manner as there are airspace restrictions and closures.
The two carriers will continue to operate their respective scheduled services to and from Jeddah and Muscat on March 11, Air India said in a statement on Tuesday. While Air India will operate eight flights to and from Jeddah, Air India Express will be operating 14 scheduled flights to and from Muscat, it stated.ย Air India will operate one round-trip each from Delhi and Mumbai to Jeddah, and Air India Express will operate a round-trip each from Hyderabad and Kozhikode to Jeddah on Wednesday.
ALSO READ:ย Air India, AI Express to operate 58 flights to and from West Asia from today amid ongoing war