Eastern runway at Suvarnabhumi Airport close for two days

Airports of Thailand Public Company Limited (AOT) has closed the eastern runway of the main Suvarnabhumi International Airport for two days, after it was damaged by a landing plane of Thai Airways International (THAI), the national flag carrier, which slipped off it at the night of Sept 8, Thai News Agency (TNA) reported.

AOT Board Chairman Sita Divari told journalists on Monday that he discussed the incident of the Airbus A330-300 plane from Guangzhou to Bangkok, with the Department of Civil Aviation and THAI and decided that the eastern runway of the Suvarnabhumi Airport needs to be closed for about 48 hours for the removal of the damaged plane and runway repair.

According to the AOT board chair, planes which are smaller than Boeing 737 aircraft can still use the affected runway for takeoffs.

The AOT board chair announced that the removal of the troubled plane and the repair of the 300-meter-long damaged section of the runway were set to be finished by noon on September 11, and that, during the runway closure, Don Mueang and U-Tapao airports will become backup facilities for airplanes which cannot wait.

Apinan Wannangkun, Vice President of Aeronautical Radio of Thailand Co (AEROTHAI), acknowledged, meanwhile, that the accident delayed 99 visiting planes, each of which had to circle for about 15 minutes to wait for their turns and it also delayed 106 departing planes for about half an hour on average, recommending that all airlines reserve fuel for the delay.

Apinan noted that U-Tapao Airport could serve 40 planes an hour, while AOT and AEROTHAI direct planes of the same sizes, including Airbus 320, Boeing 737 and ATR, to use the remaining 2,000-meter-long section of the eastern runway for takeoffs to relieve congestion.