Air India Bomb Alert: Pilot Diverts Phuket-Delhi Flight Over Suspicious Threat

An Air India flight from Phuket, Thailand, to New Delhi was forced to make an emergency landing on Friday following a bomb threat, airport authorities confirmed.

Flight AI 379, carrying 156 passengers, departed Phuket International Airport at 9:30 AM local time (0230 GMT). Shortly after takeoff, the aircraft made a turn over the Andaman Sea and returned to the airport, following standard emergency protocols.

"All 156 passengers on flight AI 379 were safely escorted off the aircraft in accordance with emergency procedures," said an official from Airports of Thailand (AOT).

Flight tracking service Flightradar24 showed the aircraft turning back mid-flight before landing safely in Phuket. AOT has not revealed the nature of the threat, and Air India has yet to release an official statement.

This incident comes just a day after another tragic Air India event. On Thursday afternoon, Air India flight AI-171 from Ahmedabad to London crashed shortly after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.

Air India later confirmed that all passengers and crew, except one, lost their lives in the crash.

Initial reports suggest that within two minutes of takeoff, the aircraft's rear section failed to gain proper elevation and struck a tree. The plane then veered off course and crashed into the boys' hostel of BJ Medical College.

The impact was devastating, leaving several injured. Emergency teams responded swiftly to the crash site.