Air India Express Flight Makes Hard Landing at Phuket Airport, Damaging Nose Gear

An Air India Express Boeing 737 from Hyderabad, India, suffered a hard landing at Phuket International Airport on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, resulting in significant damage to the aircraft’s nose landing gear and forcing a temporary closure of the airport’s single runway.

The incident involved flight IX938, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 registered VT-BWQ, which arrived earlier than scheduled around 11:24 a.m. local time. Initial reports and eyewitness accounts indicate the aircraft experienced a firm touchdown, causing the nose wheel to detach or collapse, with the strut scraping the runway briefly before the plane came to a stop on the runway.

All 133 passengers including two infants and crew members were safely evacuated using mobile stairs, with no injuries reported.

Air India Express issued a statement acknowledging the nose wheel issue upon landing, thanking passengers, Phuket airport authorities, and other stakeholders for their cooperation in managing the situation safely.

Airport officials issued a NOTAM closing the runway from approximately 12:08 p.m. local time until 6:00 p.m. to facilitate aircraft removal, runway inspection, and safety checks. The closure disrupted operations at the busy tourist hub, affecting arriving and departing flights, with some held in holding patterns or diverted to nearby airports such as Krabi.

Photos and videos circulating on social media and news outlets show the damaged nose gear, with the wheel detached and the aircraft stationary on the runway.

No passengers were harmed, and the focus remains on aircraft recovery and resuming normal operations at the airport.