AoT under fire for lack of planning on runway repairs

SPECIAL REPORT: Suvarnabhumi delays are affecting flights, tourist arrivals and wider business

Published: 9/07/2012 at 01:34 AMNewspaper section:

Although runway repairs at Suvarnabhumi airport are on schedule, the congestion caused by the work has led to wider effects than just flight delays.

Tourism operators have reported a drop in the number of foreign visitors arriving in Thailand, and electronics manufacturers have complained of late shipments of materials.

Air passengers, meanwhile, have raised doubts over the capability of airport executives to effectively manage the number of airlines scrambling for space on the reduced runway capacity.

Most importantly, safety concerns have arisen after damage was also found recently on the western runway, which was not the subject of the maintenance closures.

The airport has closed 1.6km of its 4km eastern runway since June 11, and during this time the damage to the western runway was also found.

The western runway has since been fully repaired.

On just the first day of the eastern runway closure, 380 flights were delayed, and services have continued to be affected in the four weeks since.

The repairs are due to be completed on Aug 2.

Suvarnabhumi airport director Somchai Sawasdipol insisted the repair period was appropriately scheduled as June to August is the tourism low season.

He added that the repairs were absolutely necessary at this time because attempts to repair the runway damage in 2011 were repeatedly delayed.

But Airports of Thailand Plc (AoT), which operates Suvarnabhumi, has come under fire for what critics say is inadequate co-ordination with the business sector to jointly solve the problems arising from the runway repair work.

The AoT should have informed airlines six months to a year before the repairs began so they could reduce their flights to keep impacts to a minimum, said Marisa Pongpattanapun, chairwoman of Airline Operators Committee (AOC), a coalition of global airline managers at Suvarnabhumi.

"Instead, the airlines were told only three months before. That was too short a time to adjust flight schedules because air tickets were already sold," she said.

Tourism operators have also expressed dissatisfaction with the handling of the repairs and resultant impacts.

"It's fine for the AoT to care about safety standards, but it should have come up with better plans to curb the impacts on aviation and other business sectors," Tourism Council of Thailand president Piyaman Tejapaibul said.

The AoT should talk to businesses whenever it launches policies that will affect tourism, Ms Piyaman said.

"There has been a lack of integration between the state and private sectors in regard to this repair operation and it has led to vast impacts," she said.

Thailand has lost tourism revenue as a result, Ms Piyaman said.

For example, 10 chartered flights from China were cancelled recently because the airport could not arrange flight schedules for them.

Electronic device manufacturers have also complained about the delays.

Thai Airfreight Forwarders Association representative Thapana Songtarak said their deliveries to overseas customers have been affected.

Mr Somchai promised the airport is willing to help affected businesses on case by case basis.

The AOC has asked the AoT to cut landing and takeoff fees for airlines enduring delays as a result of the runway repairs.

BANGKOK POST