The incident occurred around 9:30am, when Phuket Airport was alerted by the Flight Control Center of Aeronautical Radio of Thailand that the pilot of Air India flight AI 379, operating on the Phuket-Delhi route with 156 passengers onboard, had discovered a bomb threat message inside the aircraft during the flight.
The pilot requested an emergency landing, and airport officials immediately activated the Airport Contingency Plan for bomb threats.
Following the safe landing, an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team thoroughly searched the aircraft and all passenger belongings. Passengers were escorted off the plane, which had been parked at a remote location away from other aircraft as a precaution. All luggage was offloaded and screened as part of the security protocol.
Phuket Provincial Police, led by Deputy Commander Pol Col Akanit Danpitaksan and Sakhu Police Chief Pol Col Salan Tantisankun, brought Sanjay Bhartia, an Indian national, in for questioning at the airport’s police subdivision.
Officials from the Phuket Tourist Assistance Center assisted with interpretation during the interrogation. Forensic officers also collected handwriting samples from the suspect to compare with the message found in the aircraft lavatory. Flight crew members have also provided additional statements as part of the investigation.
According to airline staff, Mr Bhartia had displayed unusual behaviour from the time he checked in for the flight, appearing agitated and seemingly speaking as though he was accompanied by someone else, though he was traveling alone.
A prominent Phuket-based real estate and hotel businessman, who was one of the passengers on board, shared his account of the incident.
He said the flight took off as scheduled, and during the flight, the captain informed passengers only that the aircraft had encountered a minor technical issue, asking passengers to open their window shades.
The bomb threat was not disclosed at the time.
The businessman recalled that the plane circled in the air for nearly two hours before landing, which raised concerns among passengers but did not cause panic. After landing, all passengers were subjected to additional security screening.
Upon learning later that the disruption had been due to a bomb threat, the businessman said he was deeply shocked but continued his trip to India as originally planned.
Police say they are continuing to investigate the incident.