Air India flight makes emergency landing in Thailand's Phuket after bomb threat: airport

BANGKOK -- An Air India flight from Thailand's resort island of Phuket to Delhi requested an emergency landing on Friday due to a bomb threat, Phuket's airport said.

The Airport said the Air India flight AI 379, with 156 passengers on board, had taken off from Phuket bound for India's Delhi when the pilot reported a bomb threat message on board and requested to make an emergency landing, prompting the airport to activate its contingency plan.

An airport official told Xinhua that the plane has since safely landed. Monchai Tanode, general manager of Phuket Airport, told reporters that the pilot reported to air traffic control that a crew member found a note with a suspected bomb threat in the plane's lavatory.

The airport said all passengers have been disembarked, and the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) teams have started thorough searches for any explosives or suspicious items on the aircraft.