Passengers experienced a frightening moment when a prominent Indian airline's plane had its nose landing gear break, causing it to skid along the Phuket runway. Fortunately, no one was injured.
On 11 March 2026, reporters received information that police from Sakoo Police Station and tourist police at Phuket Airport were notified of an incident involving an Air India Express flight IX938 traveling from Hyderabad, India, to Phuket Airport, Phuket Province. The aircraft experienced a malfunction during landing: the nose landing gear broke and the plane skidded on the runway while touching down.
Reports indicate there were 133 passengers aboard. After the incident, TAC officials along with the airport's tourist police promptly arrived on site to inspect and ensure passenger safety.
At approximately 11:55, Phuket Airport confirmed the aircraft experienced a hard landing, causing damage to the nose landing gear. Authorities immediately controlled the situation and conducted inspections, evacuating all passengers to the terminal's waiting area for safety.
Initially, no injuries were reported from the incident. The airport announced a temporary runway closure to clear the area and conduct safety checks, which affected some flight operations.
Officials stated that any further developments would be reported. Passengers or the public seeking more information can contact HKT Information at 0-7635-1111, operated by Airports of Thailand, at any time.
Later, at 17:15, Phuket Airport (HKT) updated on the incident involving Air India Express flight AXB938 from Hyderabad (HYD) to Phuket (HKT) on 11 March 2026. Repair work on the damaged aircraft landing gear is underway, along with efforts to remove the disabled aircraft from the runway. The operation is expected to be completed by 21:00. Phuket Airport apologized for the inconvenience and will provide further updates as they become available.
By 19:00, reports confirmed the airport had resumed normal operations. The first flight to arrive after reopening the runway was from Sydney at 19:30. The approximately seven-hour runway closure impacted about 100 flights.
The Chairman of Phuket Aviation Operations (AOC) stated the incident affected both inbound and outbound flights. However, airlines have followed standard passenger care procedures by providing snacks, beverages, and continuous updates on the situation in accordance with regulations and standards.