Phuket International Airport reopened its main runway on Wednesday afternoon, three hours after a Royal Thai Navy aircraft experienced a landing gear malfunction and blocked the runway.
The belly landing by the Cessna T-337 Skymaster, which the Navy said was on a routine patrol, occurred at 11.18am. There were no injuries.
The incident prompted an immediate emergency response to facilitate the safe removal of the aircraft and to thoroughly inspect the surface. Airport officials initially said the runway would be closed until 3pm.
The recovery operation was carried out by Navy pilots, aircraft technicians and Phuket airport officials. The airport provided technical equipment, drained the aircraft’s fuel and arranged for lifting equipment to remove the plane.
The aircraft was successfully moved off the runway at 1.49pm. After clearing foreign objects and oil stains, the runway was reopened at 2.30 pm.
The closure affected a total of 70 flights, airport officials said in a statement.
Passengers who were scheduled to travel during the affected period were advised to check flight status and updates directly with their respective airlines.
Phuket International Airport extended its apologies for the inconvenience and expressed gratitude to passengers for their understanding and cooperation.