Air India Flight Returns to Phuket After Bomb Threat

An Air India flight originating from Phuket, Thailand, and destined for New Delhi, India, experienced a bomb threat on Friday, June 13th. The flight, identified as AI 379, was forced to make an emergency landing back on the island. All 156 passengers were safely evacuated from the aircraft.

Airport authorities confirmed that no suspicious devices were discovered during a search of the plane. Operations at the airport were not disrupted as a result of the incident. The bomb threat was discovered in a lavatory on the plane after it had taken off.

According to Phuket Airport's general manager, police questioned suspects but were unable to determine the author of the threat. An Air India official stated that three initial suspects were cleared. The flight had departed Phuket airport at 9:30 am local time, but subsequently circled the Andaman Sea before returning to the island.

Photos circulating on social media indicated that the aircraft bore the logo of Vistara, an Indian carrier. Vistara planes have been operated by Air India since their merger in 2024.

The incident occurred shortly after an Air India flight crashed in Ahmedabad on Thursday, resulting in over 240 fatalities. Authorities have not found any explosive devices on the plane following a preliminary search. The passenger who discovered the threat note is currently being questioned.

Indian airlines and airports have faced a surge in hoax bomb threats. Nearly 1,000 such threats were received in the first ten months of last year, representing a significant increase compared to the previous year.