Asian airlines plan special flights for stranded Bangkok tourists
Reuters reports that Asian airlines have begun special flights to carry passengers stranded in Thailand by anti-government protesters who have taken over the main Bangkok airport in their bid to oust the elected administration.
People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) protesters laid siege to Bangkok’s new Suvarnabhumi International Airport, Thailand’s main hub for 14 million visitors a year, and the Don Muang domestic terminal this week.
Thai Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat declared a state of emergency at the two airports late on Thursday, saying Thailand’s export- and tourism-driven economy could not tolerate further disruption.
The airport sit-ins have forced hundreds of flights to be cancelled, stranding thousands of foreign tourists in one of Asia’s biggest air hubs and grounding millions of dollars of air cargo.
Hong Kong carrier Cathay Pacific said it would operate two flights on Friday and Saturday on Boeing 777-300 aircraft to pick up passengers and crew stranded in Bangkok. The flights would land at an airport near the popular tourist centre of Pattaya, about a two-hour drive south of Bangkok.
Saturday’s flight would also carry passengers wishing to travel from Hong Kong to Thailand, the airline said in a statement.
South Korea’s Korean Air Lines and Asiana Airlines said they had begun sending flights to the same airport on Thursday to carry up to 1,100 stranded passengers.
Malaysian Airline has also put on flights to the southern tourist centre, while a decision was expected soon on whether Kuala Lumpur would also send a military flight to pick up stranded passengers.
Like most carriers, Taiwan’s two major carriers cancelled their flights into Bangkok on Wednesday.
Eva Airways, which had cancelled 11 flights since Wednesday, said on its website www.evaair.com, it would put on two round trips to the airport outside Pattaya on Friday and Saturday.
Taiwan’s other major international carrier, China Airlines, had cancelled nine Bangkok flights on Thursday, a company spokeswoman said.
China Airlines had put on a flight from Taipei to northern Chiang Mai on Friday and would replace a small plane with a larger one for its scheduled Taipei-Chiang Mai flight on Saturday, she said.
Manila’s second largest carrier Cebu Pacific Air said it has cancelled all its flights to Bangkok until next Wednesday. Another carrier, the Philippines Airlines said that it had also stopped flights but it would be reviewing its decision each day.
An estimated 800 Filipinos have been stranded in the Thai capital since Wednesday.
A Report by The Mole
John Alwyn-Jones
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