Flights resume at Bangkok airport after protest

03 December 2008 | 07:13:33 PM | Source: AFP

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Airlines have gradually resumed international and domestic flights to and from Bangkok's main airport after protesters ended a blockade, with full operations expected tomorrow, officials said.

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The first domestic flight, a Thai Airlines service, landed at Suvarnabhumi international airport at about 2.10pm (1810 AEDT) from the southern resort island of Phuket, carrying 307 passengers, airline officials said.

Flag carrier Thai Airways said in a statement that six flights would leave the main Suvarnabhumi international airport on Wednesday and early Thursday, flying to Sydney, New Delhi, Narita, Frankfurt, Seoul and Copenhagen.

The first flight to Sydney was due to leave at 7.50pm (2350 AEDT).

Thai Airways said the passengers would have to check-in at a convention centre east of Bangkok, where temporary desks were set up during the airport blockades.

Vudhibhandhu Vichairatana, chairman of the board of Airports of Thailand (AOT), said that full operations would resume at Suvarnabhumi on Thursday.

"We will try and get everything back to normal as soon as possible," he told reporters at the airport as protesters from the anti-government People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) packed up their belongings and trickled out.

A Royal Jordanian airline will be the first international flight to land, scheduled to arrive at 3.25pm on Wednesday, AOT said in a statement.
   
Flights had been landing at the Utapao naval base south-east of Bangkok, which has been standing in as the main exit point for travellers, who have also been escaping from Chiang Mai in the north and Phuket.

Regional carrier Bangkok Airways said one of its domestic flights from Samui was due to land at the airport on Wednesday and that it would operate a return service later in the day.
   
It asked passengers to check in at its head office in Bangkok.

Vudhibhandhu said damage from the occupation of the airport by the PAD since November 25 had not yet been estimated.

Hundreds of PAD supporters started leaving the airport in cars, taxis and buses after the 10am time set by PAD leaders for the end of their protests at Suvarnabhumi and other sites.

They gave up their siege of Suvarnabhumi and the smaller Don Mueang domestic airport after a court dissolved the ruling party and forced out the prime minister, one of the key demands of the
PAD.
 

 

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