Confirmation of the incident came via Phuket Info Center, which operates under the Phuket Provincial Office, earlier today (Feb 23).
Airports of Thailand Phuket branch (AoT Phuket), which operates Phuket International Airport, and Thai Smile, a wholly owned subsidiary of Thai Airways International, have yet to recognise the safety incident directly to the public.
The Thai Smile flight made the emergency landing at 1pm, said the report by Phuket Info Center today.
The A320 made a “hard landing” with a tailstrike on the runway, said the report.
Thankfully, the pilot managed to bring the plane to a halt and all passengers disembarked safely, the report added.
The runway was closed from 1:55pm to 2:50pm while repairs were made to the one square metre on the landing strip that suffered damage from the tailstrike.
The runway closure caused delays to “about 20 flights” due to take off and land during the period, said the report.
The Thai Smile Airbus A320 is now being checked and undergoing repairs at the Delta section of the airport, the report added.