Carriers gird for runway resurfacing

Airlines are gearing up to deal with unpleasant effects arising from the partial closure of a runway at Suvarnabhumi airport for repairs.

The airline industry yesterday warned of a series of inevitable consequences, such as delays in arrivals and departures, extended holding patterns, missed connections for passengers and even landings diverted to U-tapao airport in Rayong.

Those are the likeliest scenarios from March 3 to May 2 as a 1,250-metre section of the northern runway, 4,000 metres in overall length, closes for resurfacing and the B1 taxiway also undergoes repairs.

The head of the runway, where aircraft touch down, will be closed for maintenance, leaving the remaining 2,750 metres in service for mostly narrow-body aircraft.

“It’s undeniable there will be impacts from the closure, and everybody should prepare for the unpleasant experience during the 60 days’ closure,” Louis Moser, chairman of the Airline Operators Committee, said yesterday.

The committee is the industry body that represents 86 international airlines and 26 aviation service providers at Thailand’s gateway airport.

Mr Moser questioned airport management’s assessment that the impact this time would resemble that of the last runway repair closure at Suvarnabhumi five years ago.

“Today’s air traffic volume is 30-40% more than five years ago, and that will definitely result in more impact,” he told the Bangkok Post.

Thai Airways International expects the partial closure of runway 01R/19L to affect the flag carrier’s take-offs and landings, but it has a contingency plan to mitigate flight delays at the airport, which sometimes faces congestion even on normal days.

Aeronautical Radio of Thailand, which runs air traffic control at Suvarnabhumi, said the closure will reduce the airport’s overall capacity, with two runways, to 60 aircraft movements an hour from 68.