Phuket-Moscow flight makes emergency landing at Suvarnabhumi

Aeroflot Flight SU277 from Phuket to Moscow made an emergency landing at Suvarnabhumi Airport at 9pm on Monday with all 331 passengers and 15 crew members disembarking safely, Airports of Thailand Plc (AOT) said.

The authority said the pilots circled over the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand for about five hours to burn fuel and reduce weight before landing.

The flight, a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, originally scheduled for departure at 3.20pm, left Phuket International Airport late at 4.35pm, the AOT said. It was scheduled to arrive in Moscow at 9.40pm.

Suvarnabhumi Airport director Kittiphong Kittikhajorn said the aircraft successfully landed on runway 01 and then proceeded to bay no. 115. There were no reports of injuries from the incident.

Upon landing, airport staff provided drinking water to all passengers and transported them to hotels, he said, adding that the airline is arranging a new flight for affected passengers.

Facebook page “Outsider's Aviation” on Monday reported that the aircraft experienced a technical difficulty that prevented the landing gear doors from closing.