Thai Aviation Woes
Suvarnabhumi Airport will open, but no terminal services available until next week
Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport will not be fully operational on Friday, December 5, the Airports of Thailand has concluded, after a day-long survey of facilities and terminal services.
Airport general manager, Serirat Prasutanond, concluded this evening that the terminal facilities including check-in, immigration systems and some of the highly sophisticated baggage scanners will require further maintenance. Clearance will be required from International Civil Aviation Organization before full operations can kick in, next week.
However, some THAI flights will land and depart from the airport as planned on December 5 and over the weekend. Airlines wishing to use the airport from that date can apply for permission from the Civil Aviation Department.
Airlines deciding to resume services will need to co-ordinate with the Airports of Thailand and THAI on ground support and handling.
Runways, aprons, air traffic control towers and ground handling services are ready. However, the terminal building’s IT services, passenger check-in and security hardware require a more complicated reboot that will not be completed and approved by ICAO until next week.
As the terminal building will remain closed, arriving passengers will transfer to THAI’s crew centre for immigration and customs checks.
Passengers joining flights leaving Suvarnabhumi Airport cannot check in at the terminal building. They will have to reconfirm their flights directly with the airlines and transfer to the Bitec exhibition hall for check-in procedures.
AoT is assessing the situation daily and believes it will have the terminal fully operational early next week.
The authorities decided not to open a second check in center at Impact exhibition hall and canceled plans to commission two airports in Nakhon Ratchasima to handle emergency flights.
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