Flights resume at Thai airport

2008-12-03 10:26

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

The first domestic flight, a Thai Airlines service, landed at Suvarnabhumi international airport at about 14:10 (09:10 SA time) from the southern resort isle 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 on Thursday, flying to Sydney, New Delhi, Narita, Frankfurt, Seoul and Copenhagen.

The first flight to Sydney is due to leave at 19:50 (14:50 SA time). 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, chairperson 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.

Flights landing at naval base

A Royal Jordanian airline will be the first international flight to land, scheduled to arrive at 15:25, AOT said.

Flights had been landing at the U-Tapao naval base southeast 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 10:00 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.

- AFP