IJCNLP 2011 Blog

Update: 27 October 2011

Inbound and outbound flight services are fullyfunctional at Suvarnabhumi Airport, Thailand’s main international airport, as the agency’s staff are countering the flooding challenge with an efficient flood-protection system, airport acting director Somchai Sawasdipol reaffirmed on Thursday.

Mr Somchai made his remarks amid fears among the public that the airport may have to suspend flight services after the capital and its adjacent provinces have encountered the country’s worst flooding in decades.

The acting director said the airport flood-protection system is efficient and that concerned officials are closely monitoring the water levels of nearby areas.

Regarding flight services, the airport is doing business as usual, Mr Somchai asserted.

As residents living near the airport, east of Bangkok, designated as a water retention area, have been hit by flooding, the airport has opened its parking building as a refuge for 1,500 evacuees.

Thai AirAsia chief executive officer Tassapol Bijleveld meanwhile, revealed that 15 per cent of foreign visitors, in particular Chinese tourists, who booked tickets to Thailand have cancelled their trips as they are not confident as to whether their journeys will be inconvenienced due to the flooding.

The low-cost airline chief said his firm’s managers have closely monitored water levels around the airport and found them the same as two weeks ago, ruling out worries over the inundation in the airport.

Regarding the flood situation at Don Mueang Airport, which earlier forced suspension of the other two budget carriers Nok Air and Orient Thai, floodwater has now covered 85 per cent of the airport compound as flood prevention dykes in the northern tier of the airport were broken, said airport director Kanputt Mungklasiri.

Water covering the Don Mueang airport runways was as deep as 50 centimetres, he said,

As director of the country’s main domestic airport, Group Captain Kanpatt also expressed concern that floodwater could flow across the airport’s electricity distribution system, which will cause a big problem.

Don Mueang Airport houses the Flood Relief Operations Centre (FROC). On Tuesday all flight operations were halted for the safety of passengers and airline services were diverted to Suvarnabhumi Airport.

One airport building with a 200-person capacity has also been reserved as a temporary shelter for flood-affected airport employees.

Normally, 160 daily flights operate from the former main international airport by Nok Air and Orient Thai Airlines.