Bomb Scare Forces Emergency Landing of Air India Flight

An Air India flight from Phuket to New Delhi made an emergency landing due to a bomb threat, resulting in all 156 passengers being safely evacuated. Recent events indicate an increase in hoax bomb threats affecting Indian airlines, with a significant number reported last year.

An Air India flight, bound for New Delhi from Phuket, faced an emergency situation on Friday after a bomb threat was reported onboard, prompting an urgent return to the southern Thai island, according to airport authorities.

All 156 passengers of flight AI 379 were safely evacuated, adhering to emergency protocols, confirmed an Airports of Thailand spokesperson. The aircraft, initially departing at 9:30 a.m. from Phuket, made a detour around the Andaman Sea before landing back on the island as tracked by Flightradar24.

This incident closely follows a recent Air India flight crash in Ahmedabad, raising concerns around airline safety. The airline and airports have been coping with several hoax bomb threats, with a substantial rise recorded last year, involving nearly 1,000 false alarms.

(With inputs from agencies.)