Stranded aircraft allowed to leave Suvarnabhumi
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Airports of Thailand (AoT), the operator of Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, yesterday gave the green light to airlines to remove a total of 88 aircraft grounded since last Tuesday, The Nation has reported. The move followed lengthy negotiations with leaders of the anti-government protesters who have laid siege to Bangkok’s two airports, Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang
“We’ve told every airline that they can remove their stranded aircraft if their pilots are ready,” said Serirat Pasutanond, AoT’s Acting President.
Many of the empty aircraft will fly to the temporary relief airport, U-Tapao, which is operating emergency flights to allow tourists to return home, and Thais stuck abroad to be repatriated. Major regional carriers including Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines are operating from U-Tapao, the former military airbase southwest of the capital. However Thailand Tourism & Sports Minister, Weerasak Kohsurat, was reported as saying that the small hub is struggling to cope.
“U-Tapao is very crowded now,” Bloomberg reported Weerasak as saying on the TNN news channel. “We will divert some flights to two airports in Nakhon Ratchasima province. Chiang Mai and Phuket will also help send stranded passengers out,” he added.
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