Hyderabad AIE Flight Develops Snag, Makes Hard Landing
The incident occurred around noon when the Air India Express flight AXB938 sustained damage to its landing gear while touching down.
By : Sanjay Samuel Paul
Update: 2026-03-11 17:41 GMT
Hyderabad: An Air India Express flight from Hyderabad to Phuket made a hard landing at Phuket International Airport on Wednesday, temporarily disrupting airport operations.
The flight, AXB938, was carrying 131 passengers, two infants and seven crew members. All on board were reported safe. According to preliminary information, the aircraft experienced a hard landing that damaged the main and nose landing gear, preventing it from vacating the runway immediately.
Following the incident, Phuket Airport issued a Notice to Airmen (Notam) and temporarily closed the runway from 12.08 pm to 6 pm, affecting several flight operations.
The aircraft, a Boeing 737-800 registered as VT-BWQ, had departed from Hyderabad and landed in Phuket earlier than its scheduled arrival time of 11.40 am, touching down at about 11.24 am.
A senior flying officer explained that during a normal landing the aircraft’s rear landing gear touches the runway first, followed by the nose gear a few seconds later.
He said the incident requires a detailed investigation as the hard landing led to disruption of airport operations and raised concerns over flight safety standards.
Air India Express confirmed that the aircraft experienced an issue with its nose wheel during landing. “The crew followed all standard protocols, and guests were safely deplaned,” a spokesperson said. No injuries were reported.
The airport stated that the runway was expected to reopen at 6 pm local time after the aircraft was cleared.
Images shared on social media by Thai state broadcaster MCOT showed part of the landing gear in contact with the runway, with one wheel missing and a long skid mark visible on the tarmac.
Phuket International Airport is one of Thailand’s busiest aviation hubs, handling hundreds of flights daily connecting the island with destinations across Asia, Europe and the Middle East, in addition to domestic routes.
Following the incident, Phuket Airport issued a Notice to Airmen (Notam) and temporarily closed the runway from 12.08 pm to 6 pm, affecting several flight operations.
The aircraft, a Boeing 737-800 registered as VT-BWQ, had departed from Hyderabad and landed in Phuket earlier than its scheduled arrival time of 11.40 am, touching down at about 11.24 am.
A senior flying officer explained that during a normal landing the aircraft’s rear landing gear touches the runway first, followed by the nose gear a few seconds later.
He said the incident requires a detailed investigation as the hard landing led to disruption of airport operations and raised concerns over flight safety standards.
Air India Express confirmed that the aircraft experienced an issue with its nose wheel during landing. “The crew followed all standard protocols, and guests were safely deplaned,” a spokesperson said. No injuries were reported.
The airport stated that the runway was expected to reopen at 6 pm local time after the aircraft was cleared.
Images shared on social media by Thai state broadcaster MCOT showed part of the landing gear in contact with the runway, with one wheel missing and a long skid mark visible on the tarmac.
Phuket International Airport is one of Thailand’s busiest aviation hubs, handling hundreds of flights daily connecting the island with destinations across Asia, Europe and the Middle East, in addition to domestic routes.