Bomb threat mars Air India flight

A bomb threat forced an Air India flight bound for New Delhi to make an emergency landing at Phuket International Airport last Friday morning (June 13), triggering a full-scale emergency response and the temporary detention of one Indian national for questioning.

- Eakkapop Thongtub

The incident unfolded around 9:30 a.m when the Flight Control Center of Aeronautical Radio of Thailand notified Phuket Airport that a threatening message had been discovered onboard Air India flight AI 379. The aircraft, operating on the Phuket-Delhi (HKT-DEL) route, was carrying 156 passengers at the time.

According to reports, the threat was found in the aircraft's lavatory shortly after takeoff. The note, handwritten on a piece of paper, read “F*** you all bombs,” prompting the crew to immediately alert the pilot and follow security protocol. While the nature of the threat was not shared with passengers at the time, the pilot informed them that the plane was experiencing a minor technical issue and would be returning to Phuket.

As the aircraft circled in the air, Phuket Airport activated its Airport Contingency Plan for bomb threats and set up an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to coordinate the response.

The plane was instructed to land at parking bay 99, a remote location away from the main terminal and other aircraft, to minimize risk.