By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
PHUKET, THAILAND (Worthy News) – An Air India flight from Thailand’s Phuket island to India’s capital, New Delhi, was forced to return and make an emergency landing after an onboard bomb threat, officials confirmed.
According to flight tracker Flightradar24, the aircraft departed Phuket airport bound for the Indian capital at 9.30 a.m. local time Friday. However, it made a wide loop around the Andaman Sea and landed back on the southern Thai island at 11.38 a.m., the flight data showed.
An Airports of Thailand official said all 156 passengers on flight AI 379 were then escorted from the plane in accordance with emergency plans. There were no reports of injuries.
The troubles began shortly after takeoff when a bomb threat note was reportedly recovered from the lavatory of the plane.
After the plane landed, no bomb was found on the aircraft after a preliminary search was completed, an official said.
The Thai airport spokesperson added that the passenger who found the note was being questioned.
Indian airlines and airports were reportedly inundated with hoax bomb threats last year, with nearly 1,000 hoax calls and messages received in the first 10 months, almost 10 times that of 2023.
However, Friday’s incident followed an Air India flight in India’s western city of Ahmedabad on June 12 shortly after takeoff, in which more than 260 people on board and the ground were killed.
Only one of the 242 passengers onboard Thursday’s crashed Boeing 787 Dreamliner survived the disaster.
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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