CAAT demands explanation from AOT over runway incident at Suvarnabhumi airport
The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) has demanded an explanation from Airports of Thailand Public Company (AOT) about the condition of the runway at Bangkok’sInternational Airport, following an incident in which the wheels of a China Airlines flight got stuck on the runway.
The incident occurred on October 28th, when the wheels of China Airlines flight CI840, from Suvarnabhumi to Kaohsiung in Taiwan, got stuck on runway surface due to heavy rainfall in the area and accumulation of groundwater.
CAAT Director Air Chief Marshal Manat Chavanaprayoon said yesterday that he has sent a letter to the AOT asking for an explanation about the incident and a report on the AOT’s measures to prevent a recurrence.
He said he had suggested that the AOT use technology to test the structural integrity of the runway surface, the taxiways and aircraft parking aprons to identify any areas at risk and carry out maintenance before damage is caused by the weight of aircraft.
The CAAT director stressed that the safety of the airport must be maintained continuously and that this is not related to the volume of passengers or whether it is tourist season or not. The same safety standard must be applied, he said.
He noted that tourist arrivals had dropped in the first two quarters, compared to the same period last year, but they may turn around during the final quarter, because tourists may change their destination to Thailand due to conflicts in several countries.
Meanwhile, AOT President Paweena Jariyathitipong said that Suvarnabhumi International Airport has been operating for 20 years, accommodating about 700,000 flights a year with the runway structure bearing the weight of aircraft continuously.
She said that engineering inspections have found that the runway layers are on soft soil and contain a high level of water. Heavy rainfall and the accumulation of groundwater close to structural surface layers are affecting the runway.
She said that AOT is screening and inspecting runways to identify areas for maintenance, without the need to change the whole runway surface, adding that the whole runway cannot be closed otherwise all the flights will be affected.
Maintenance will take about ten days, working from 8pm to 6am of the next morning, she said, adding that the incident has prompted the AOT to review its performance and to increase inspections and risk assessments.
Regarding the opening of some checked baggage for inspection, she insisted that the measure is an international standard for safety reasons, although it may cause resentment among some passengers. She offered an assurance that no items have been stolen when checked baggage has been searched, because the procedure is monitored by CCTV.