New Delhi

An Air India Express flight travelling from Hyderabad to Phuket was involved in a landing incident on Wednesday after a technical issue with its nose wheel left the aircraft stranded on the runway at Phuket International Airport.

According to an airline spokesperson, the crew followed all standard procedures and passengers were safely deplaned.

“We confirm that our Hyderabad–Phuket flight on March 11 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,” the spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, Air India on Tuesday announced a phased expansion of fuel surcharges on domestic and international routes, citing a sharp rise in aviation turbine fuel prices due to geopolitical tensions in the Gulf region.

The airline said aviation turbine fuel accounts for nearly 40 per cent of an airline’s operating costs and has seen a significant increase in prices since early March 2026 because of 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, placing substantial strain on airline operating economics,” the airline said in a statement.

Under the first phase, effective for new bookings from March 12, domestic routes and flights to South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries will attract a fuel surcharge of ₹399. Flights to West Asia and the Middle East will have 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 it rise from USD 60 to USD 90.

The second phase, effective for bookings from March 18, will raise surcharges on flights to Europe from USD 100 to USD 125, and on routes to North America and Australia from USD 150 to USD 200.

Air India said a third phase covering Far East destinations such as Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea will be announced later.

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The airline added that tickets issued before the implementation of the new surcharges will not be affected unless passengers change their travel dates or itinerary.