An Air India Express flight travelling from Hyderabad to Phuket was involved in a landing incident on Wednesday after a technical problem with its nose wheel left the aircraft stranded on the runway at Phuket International Airport.
According to an Air India Express spokesperson, the airline confirmed that the aircraft experienced an issue after landing. “We confirm that our Hyderabad-Phuket flight on 11 March experienced an issue with the nose wheel at Phuket Airport. The crew followed all standard protocols, and guests were deplaned. We thank our guests, the Phuket airport authorities, and all stakeholders for their cooperation.”
Today: Air India B-737 had a landing gear malfunction – the nose landing gear bogie broke off – on landing at Phuket Int. Airport in Thailand. No one was hurt. (You can see footage of the damage in the pictures later in the video)
Jet [VT-BWQ – 737 MAX spec] was operating as… pic.twitter.com/8qrZpYTyPX
— Air Safety #OTD by Francisco Cunha (@OnDisasters) March 11, 2026
Phuket incident comes amid Air India fuel surcharge move
Meanwhile, Air India on Tuesday announced a phased expansion of fuel surcharges on both domestic and international routes. The airline said the decision comes amid a sharp rise in jet fuel prices, which has been linked to the ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Gulf region.
In a statement, the airline explained that aviation turbine fuel (ATF), which makes up nearly 40 per cent of an airline’s operating costs, has seen a major price increase since early March 2026, mainly due to supply disruptions.
“In India, this pressure is amplified by high Excise Duty and VAT on ATF in major metro cities such as Delhi and Mumbai, magnifying cost….and placing substantial strain on airline operating economics,” the statement said.
The airline said the new fuel surcharge will be rolled out in three phases and will apply to travel on all flights, including those operated by Air India Express.
Phuket route among flights affected by surcharge rise
The first phase will apply to all new bookings made from March 12. Under this phase, domestic routes within India and flights to SAARC countries will see a fuel surcharge of Rs 399, which was previously not applied. Flights to West Asia and the Middle East will carry a surcharge of USD 10. For Southeast Asia routes, the surcharge will increase from USD 40 to USD 60, while flights to Africa will see the surcharge rise from USD 60 to USD 90.
The airline also clarified that flights to and from Singapore currently do not attract a fuel surcharge but it will be applied from Phase 1.
Phase 2 will take effect for bookings made from March 18. Under this stage, fuel surcharges on flights to Europe will increase from USD 100 to USD 125. Meanwhile, routes to North America and Australia will see the surcharge rise from USD 150 to USD 200.
The airline said a third phase will be announced later and will cover Far East markets, including Hong Kong, Japan, and South Korea, according to the release.
Air India also clarified that tickets already issued before the implementation timeline will not attract the new surcharge. However, passengers who request date changes or itinerary modifications that require a fare recalculation may have to pay the updated surcharge.
(With inputs from ANI)
