Phuket: A tense situation unfolded in the skies over Southeast Asia on Friday morning when an Air India flight bound for New Delhi was forced to make an emergency landing back in Phuket following an onboard bomb threat.

Flight AI 379, carrying 156 passengers, had just departed Phuket International Airport at around 9:30 a.m. local time (0230 GMT) route to the Indian capital when the threat was reported. In response, the flight looped over the Andaman Sea before returning to Phuket as part of established emergency procedures.

Upon touchdown, the plane was immediately secured, and all passengers were safely disembarked and escorted away from the aircraft, according to officials from the Airports of Thailand (AOT). Emergency response teams swept into action, and the aircraft was taken to a remote section of the airport for a thorough inspection.

Authorities have so far withheld specific information about the nature of the threat, and Air India has not yet issued an official statement regarding the incident.

This alarming event comes just a day after a devastating crash involving another Air India aircraft in Ahmedabad, which claimed the lives of over 240 people. While Friday’s incident ended without casualties, it has only intensified concerns over the safety of Indian aviation amid increasing threats and recent tragedies.

Thailand’s aviation authorities, working with Indian counterparts, have launched a probe to determine the source of the bomb threat. Although it is unclear whether the threat was credible, the gravity of the situation prompted swift and serious action.

Indian airlines have been under a growing shadow of hoax bomb threats, with nearly 1,000 false alarms recorded in the first 10 months of last year alone—a tenfold increase from 2023. These threats have frequently disrupted flight schedules, strained airport security systems, and heightened public anxiety.

As investigators look into this latest episode, aviation and security officials stress the importance of continued vigilance, while urging passengers to remain calm and cooperative during such emergencies.

For now, the passengers of AI 379 are safe, and Thai authorities continue their inspection of the aircraft to ensure there is no residual risk before releasing it for further service.