Flights At Suvarnabhumi Airport Delayed As Repairs Of Cracks Continue

[george]

Flights at Suvarnabhumi Airport delayed as repairs of cracks continue

SUVARNABHUMI: -- Many flights to and from Suvarnabhumi Airport were delayed Thursday following closing of some taxiways and runways to repair the cracks.

THAI Flights from Singapore and Hong Kong had to change direction and land at U Tapao airport in Chon Buri province before flying back to Suvarnabhumi Airport as their gas were running out after circling at the airport for long time.

The main reason was because the airport authorities have closed western taxiways and runways of the airport to repair the cracks, making the all coming aircraft to land at the eastern runways. These resulted in the congestion of the aircraft wishing to land.

Thai Airways International said that there were two THAI flights from Singapore and Hong Kong that had to circling at the airport to wait for their turns to land had to fly and land at U-Tapao Airport in Chon Buri as they were running out of gas. They then flew to the new airport to land.

Meanwhile, Transport Minister Theera Haocharoen accompanied Gen Saprang Kalayanamitr, the Council for National Security (CNS) secretary in his behalf as board chairman of the Airports of Thailand, to inspect runways and taxi-ways at the new airport.

The inspection covered troubled spots on the taxiways where the surface have either cracked or subsided. The taxiway was closed for repair.

More problems concern the bridges linking boarding gates to aircraft. As some aircraft needed to take detour to avoid the troubled taxiway spots, only 40 of 51 bridges could be used to service passengers, adding to traffic operational headache.

"Some airlines are concerned about safety and they avoided the troubled taxiway areas, although some spots have bee repaired and ready for use," said Theera.

-- The Nation 2007-01-25

[Mid]

Airport to get temporary repairs

Suvarnabhumi Airport will not be closed down, as authorities chose to proceed with temporary repairs on the many cracks in the taxiways and one in the main runway, Transport Minister said Thursday.

Admiral Thira Haocharoen admitted that airport authorities had found 25 cracks in the taxiways at Suvarnabhumi Airport that have made it impossible for airplanes to use 11 of the airport's aero-bridges.

At least one crack has also been found at the head of the airport's 4,000-metre-long runway.

Thira said engineers and technicians were instructed to proceed with temporary repairs for the cracks within the next few weeks.

- The Nation

[capt_canada42]

A reporter for the Bangkok Post got the sack for writing a story about the cracks. Thaksin said it was all lies.

We should all call the Post and tell them they suck big time !

[LPCustom69]

They better get them repaired before something happens. Tourism seems to be taking a big enough hit.

[george]

MINISTER ADMITS:

Some airlines afraid to use new airport

BANGKOK: -- Theera says runway can be fixed without closing facility, while repairs force planes to circle overhead or land at U-Tapao

Incoming flights were delayed at Suvarnabhumi Airport yesterday as its west runway was closed for repairs for two hours, while the transport minister admitted some airlines were afraid to use the new airport due to safety concerns.

While inspecting cracks on taxiways Transport Minister Theera Haocharoen said: "This has started to affect the country's image and some airlines are afraid to use Suvarnabhumi due to safety fears."

Some flights had to circle the airport yesterday afternoon or land at U-Tapao military airfield in Chon Buri for refuelling and temporary parking.

A source from Thai Airways International said two of the airline's international flights were delayed by more than one hour.

"Flight TG 414 from Singapore should have landed at 5.05pm but it landed at 6.35pm. Meanwhile, the Tokyo-Manila-Bangkok Flight TG 621 landed at 6.45pm, two hours after its original landing schedule at 4.45pm," he said.

A passenger on a domestic Thai Airways flight from Hat Yai, which landed at U-Tapao, said he was on the plane for an hour before the flight could return to Suvarnabhumi.

"Before getting to Suvarnabhumi, I was informed that my plane could not land due to the traffic jam and the captain made a detour to U-Tapao. My plane was the first to get there and during the hour I saw four or five more planes land, one of them belonging to Thai AirAsia," he said.

Flight TG 240, another flight from Hat Yai, delayed its takeoff for 40 minutes and passengers were told they had to wait till Suvarnabhumi Airport was less congested. Its takeoff was delayed from 4.50pm until 5.30pm.

Somchai Sawasdeepon, Airports of Thailand (AoT) senior executive vice president and Suvarnabhumi director, said the west runway was closed for repairs from 2pm to 4pm. This coincided with Theera's inspection of cracks on the taxiways.

"The repairs had been scheduled. We informed all flights to stop over at U-Tapao where they could refill their tanks," Somchai said.

During his two-hour inspection accompanied by AoT chairman General Saprang Kalayanamitr, Theera admitted that 11 aero-bridges were sealed off due to subsidence on the taxiways.

In the first official admission of damage at the airport, Theera identified more than 100 points at 25 areas on taxiways and one point on the west runway where damage had occurred. Seven points on the taxiways had been repaired but subsidence had reoccurred after two weeks.

"Cracks have also been found at many other areas. This will affect travellers on planes that can not reach 11 aero-bridges, while the repairs have caused traffic jams," Theera said.

While admitting the airport needs swift repairs, Theera insisted that Suvarnabhumi would not be shut and Don Muang reopened.

Cracks in the main runway could be repaired without shutting it down because they had occurred at the head of the runway, allowing jets enough space to land if work was underway, he said.

Deputy Prime Minister Kosit Panpiemras also said yesterday he opposed shifting flights to Don Muang, saying this would inconvenience travellers.

Theera said engineers and technicians had been asked to find "temporary" ways to fix the cracks within the next few weeks. In the next two weeks, an investigation committee chaired by Tortrakul Yomnag will start examining the ground underneath the airport, which is located in an area known as Cobra Swamp.

The airport has been plagued by operational glitches and structural defects that have been blamed on the rushed manner in which it was built and opened, as well as the opaque way in which building contracts were awarded.

Besides cracks, there have been reports of leaks in the roof, faulty air-conditioning, poor drainage in the parking lots and complaints of a severe shortage of rest rooms.

Deputy Transport Minister Sansern Wongcha-um yesterday warned that 12 light-control boxes are inappropriately located: although they were built to handle temperatures of up to 40 degrees they were placed outside where the temperature can rise to 45 degrees. They could be damaged by the heat or catch fire, he said.

"These problems indicate massive corruption," Saprang said. "Someone needs to take responsibility."

Despite reports AoT president Chotisak Asapaviriya's job was on the line due to the airport's problems, his dismissal was not on the agenda of the agency's meeting yesterday.

-- The Nation 2007-01-26

[old wanderer]

Meanwhile, Transport Minister Theera Haocharoen accompanied Gen Saprang Kalayanamitr, the Council for National Security (CNS) secretary in his behalf as board chairman of the Airports of Thailand, to inspect runways and taxi-ways at the new airport.

Boy do I hate it when you get this kind of spin......The people mentioned above would not know a "good" runway or taxi-way if it bit them in the ass.

I am in the airline buisness....(operations and mainenance) and just a few miles from where I live is LAX. They removed the most southern runway and are re-doing it for the Airbus A 380 due to size and weight.

They remove the earth to almost 3 meters below the surface and start the runway base from here. In the touchdown zones the concrete is over 1.5 meters thick....

The Thais can do what-ever cosmetic stuff they desire, but the problem remains with the foundation to the runway and taxi-ways, and it will take a solid 6 months of excavation to really fix the problem.

Of course TIT, and nobody will ever loose face for the money they pocketed and the junk that was allowed to be built.

Suvarnabhumi has some special problems as the land that was selected was almost swamp, so finding a base to support aircraft weighing 750,000 lbs as they roll over the taxi-ways and runways with only 3 points of contact puts a tremedous force on the tarmac below....They had the money to do it right, and I really wish the military would use a "scorched earth" policy towards those involved in the airport construction. (i.e. Complete confiscation and forfeiture of all family assests of those involve that allowed this type of construction to take place).

JMHO (of course)

Edited January 25, 2007 by old wanderer

[britmaveric]

Embarrassing!!!

[sonthaya]

Why don't they just close the place and move all the flights back to good old Don Muang, and then do a proper repair of all the faults.

[laidback]

:bah: :D

MINISTER ADMITS:

Some airlines afraid to use new airport

[laidback]

everyone that is involved in the construction from the top down should be held responsible for this joke..called an airport.

[Rdrokit]

Well, I am flying home from the States and arrive on Feb 23. I home the cracks are fixed so this fat ass can land.

[jellykookabanj]

everyone that is involved in the construction from the top down should be held responsible for this joke..called an airport.

The truly indecent haste which Taxsin demanded the new airport opened was a contributary factor in this fiasco.

Yes, many people have pocketed vast amounts of money for the poor quality of materials used and the bad structural work that took place, but you can be sure that nobody will be blamed for this or lose any of the illegally earned money.

Just one time I wish that the guilty parties were named and shamed. Maybe it will deter reoccurances on other projects ( i wish).

[gudy]

Why don't they just close the place and move all the flights back to good old Don Muang, and then do a proper repair of all the faults.

No thanks...it was just so nice quiet here... ... and do you know all those repairs are only temporally, hopeless...it are truely construction errors in foundation and so on else you can't get those cracks..you will get a "humpy dumpy bumpy" runway its only a matter of time....true solution: rebuild what will take years, and let it be done by truely experienced companies....maybe more expensive in the beginning, but the result is there already I'm very sorry that it happened to thailand because the plan / idea was good...its not needed to pinpoint to who's fault it is,and fire people and so on,because that is not solving the problem and it will harm the society even more,it happened,we have to go on, truely sad... :'(

[Tony Clifton]

A reporter for the Bangkok Post got the sack for writing a story about the cracks. Thaksin said it was all lies.

We should all call the Post and tell them they suck big time !

Channel 11 was talking about this tonight as well. There will be repercussions.

everyone that is involved in the construction from the top down should be held responsible for this joke..called an airport.

The truly indecent haste which Taxsin demanded the new airport opened was a contributary factor in this fiasco. Thaksin, the self-serving, omnipresent in every major project, self-appointed Chairman of the Airport Committee

Yes, many people have pocketed vast amounts of money for the poor quality of materials used and the bad structural work that took place, but you can be sure that nobody will be blamed for this or lose any of the illegally earned money.

Just one time I wish that the guilty parties were named and shamed. Maybe it will deter reoccurances on other projects ( i wish).

There was mention in the news lately that contractors will not get away with it.

[britmaveric]

Sure they won't get away with it!!!

[farang prince]

DISGRACEFUL!!!!!!!!!!

[mark lamai]

what ya all worried about??...wont be a problem as you read above.

with modern rapid set concrete it only takes 2 hours to fill a crack.

[steve_dench]

what ya all worried about??...wont be a problem as you read above.

with modern rapid set concrete it only takes 2 hours to fill a crack.

Thinking like this is what has created the problems in the first place. If you fill a crack it is still a crack, regardless of what you fill it with. If the foundation was never properly prepared and constructed the problems will not be able to be repaired, they can only be patched.

If the sub surface is not one homologous unit then movement will occur which will cause deterioration of the surface. Imagine the stress on the landing gear of a plane when it lands. Think of the area of contact when a plane touches down. Think of the concentration required by the airline crew at this point in time. Realise the possible disaster that a minor imperfection in the landing sequence could cause.

An international consultant should be at Suvarnabhumi now to give an independent assessment of the construction before a disaster occurs. Forget saving face. Fix it and be seen to be reacting.

[falux]

Funny enough, Thais call it Suvarnabhum. Only foreigners add an i to it.

[Mai Krap]

How many times have we seen a new road built and within weeks it starts to fall apart? What has not been put into play is the new super jumbo jets that will go online in the next couple years. Does anyone know what the weight differences will be? Both the Air Bus and Boeing are going to add considerable amounts of stress compared to the current aircraft. What will happen if these new aircraft cannot land there? Will they be restricted to Singapore or possibly have to compensate and provide for passengers to be commuted from Utapo?

Boeing Dreamlifter Delivers First Assemblies for 787 Dreamliner

CHARLESTON, S.C., Jan. 16, 2007 -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] yesterday delivered the first major assemblies for the all-new 787 Dreamliner to its partner Global Aeronautica in Charleston, S.C., completing the first-ever delivery cycle using the Dreamlifter, a specially modified 747-400.

"The Dreamlifter proved beyond a doubt that it is the right transportation solution for the lean, global production system we are using to build the 787," said Scott Strode, vice president of Airplane Development and Production for the 787 program. "We can now do in hours what used to take weeks. This is good news for us, our partners and ultimately, our airline customers."

The load consisted of section 43, a forward fuselage section made by Kawasaki Heavy Industries, and section 11/45, the center wheel well and center wing tank made by KHI and Fuji Heavy Industries and joined at FHI. The Dreamlifter left Nagoya, Japan, on Friday. It successfully performed some required flight testing in Seattle over the weekend, and headed to Charleston late Sunday. The parts were unloaded yesterday.

"The arrival of our first 787 shipment from Japan is an important milestone," said Randy Smith, chief operating officer of Global Aeronautica, LLC. "Our employees are ready to start work on the first Dreamliner and are honored to be a part of Boeing's worldwide team that's delivering on its promise to bring the most technologically advanced aircraft to customers in 2008."

[zakk9]

Funny enough, Thais call it Suvarnabhum. Only foreigners add an i to it.

Actually, the Thais call it Suwannapoom, which is how it's spelled in Thai. The "i" is actually there in the Thai spelling, but shouldn't be pronounced.

[MyFriend You]

what ya all worried about??...wont be a problem as you read above.

with modern rapid set concrete it only takes 2 hours to fill a crack.

I grew up in Nawlins Loosiana, we have been fillin in de cracks in the levy's since 1970, just a matter of time when fillin in de cracks won't be nuff to stop the river...............what I'm saying is the last few writers are absolutely correct, without a solid base, you don't have an airport, you have a disaster waiting to happen - New Orleans is basically a city built on a swamp as well, they just kept fixing the roads and sidewalks when they sank - my next trip??? I plan to land in Vientiane and drive over..............too old to beleive the BS - I want to die in a massage parlor in Bangkok when I'm 85, not landing on a moving landing strip...............Peace

[falux]

Funny enough, Thais call it Suvarnabhum. Only foreigners add an i to it.

Actually, the Thais call it Suwannapoom, which is how it's spelled in Thai. The "i" is actually there in the Thai spelling, but shouldn't be pronounced.

Thanks for detailing. I thought only consonants are written but not spelled at the end of words in Thai. One never stops learning...

[Mai Krap]

Cracks in the main runway could be repaired without shutting it down because they had occurred at the head of the runway, allowing jets enough space to land if work was underway, he said.

Yea right, Im sure the construction crews will be directing concrete trucks on and off the runways between landings? Maybe the workers can lay a bunch of freshly cut limbs in the runway to signal the planes when not to land. Nevermind all the assorted FOD involved with such matters.

Foreign object debris (FOD) at airports can cause damage that costs airlines, airports, and airport tenants millions of dollars every year. FOD is any object that does not belong in or near airplanes and, as a result, can injure airport or airline personnel and damage airplanes. A FOD-prevention program of training, facility inspection, maintenance, and coordination between all affected parties can minimize FOD and its effects.

Foreign object debris (FOD) at airports includes any object found in an inappropriate location that -- as a result of being in that location -- can damage equipment or injure airplane or airport personnel. The resulting damage is estimated to cost the aerospace industry $4 billion a year. Airports, airlines, and airport tenants can reduce this cost by taking steps to prevent airport FOD.FOD includes a wide range of material, including loose hardware, pavement fragments, catering supplies, building materials, rocks, sand, pieces of luggage, and even wildlife. FOD is found at terminal gates, cargo aprons, taxiways, runways, and run-up pads. It causes damage through direct contact with airplanes, such as by cutting airplane tires or being ingested into engines, or as a result of being thrown by jet blast and damaging airplanes or injuring people.

FOD AND MAINTENANCE COSTS

The effect of Foreign Object Debris (FOD) on maintenance costs can be significant. For example, the cost to repair a FOD-damaged engine can easily exceed $1 million. FOD can also incur extensive indirect costs, including:

* Flight delays and cancellations, leading to a loss of customers.

* Schedule disruptions caused by the need to reposition airplanes and crews.

* Potential liability because of injury.

* Additional work for airline management and staff.

The cost of repairing FOD damage to an engine can easily exceed 20 percent of its original purchase price.

Purchase cost of MD-11 engine--------------------------$8-10 million

Purchase cost of MD-80 engine--------------------------$3-4 million

MD-11 engine overhaul to correct FOD damage--------$500,000-1.6 million

MD-80 engine overhaul to correct FOD damage-------$250,000-1.0 million

MD-11 fan blades (per set*)-----------------------------$25,000

MD-80 fan blades (per set*)------------------------------$7,000

*Fan blades are balanced and replaced as a set.

SOURCES OF FOD

Foreign object debris (FOD) comes from many sources. The most common are:

* Airport infrastructure.

* Normal airplane operations.

* Personal belongings.

Airport infrastructure. The deterioration, maintenance, and construction of the airport infrastructure can contribute to FOD. For example, pieces of concrete can break loose from holes in pavement or from fatigue corner cracks, and building materials can fall from construction vehicles or be blown from gate areas onto airplane maneuvering areas. Broken pieces of pavement can collect at the edge of the gate area and be carried onto the airplane maneuvering area by the tires of vehicular ground support equipment (GSE). Service roads that cross taxiways should be monitored closely to prevent the vehicles using these roads from moving FOD onto the taxiways.

[zakk9]

Funny enough, Thais call it Suvarnabhum. Only foreigners add an i to it.

Actually, the Thais call it Suwannapoom, which is how it's spelled in Thai. The "i" is actually there in the Thai spelling, but shouldn't be pronounced.

Thanks for detailing. I thought only consonants are written but not spelled at the end of words in Thai. One never stops learning...

The silent consonant is more common, and to make it easier, it's marked with a special character, a "kallan". With vowels, it gets more complicated, since they have to stand together with a consonant, and in this case, the consonant "m" isn't silent, so no "kallan". As far as I know, the phenomenon only appears in a relatively small quantity of names. Still, it gets confusing when they assume that foreigners understand that the vowel is silent, even when it's there in the English translation.

[Dupont]

Why don't they just close the place and move all the flights back to good old Don Muang, and then do a proper repair of all the faults.

The Airport or Thailand?

[Dupont]

everyone that is involved in the construction from the top down should be held responsible for this joke..called an airport.

The truly indecent haste which Taxsin demanded the new airport opened was a contributary factor in this fiasco.

Yes, many people have pocketed vast amounts of money for the poor quality of materials used and the bad structural work that took place, but you can be sure that nobody will be blamed for this or lose any of the illegally earned money.

Just one time I wish that the guilty parties were named and shamed. Maybe it will deter reoccurances on other projects ( i wish).

you are so right.

nothing is going to happen.

Its so corrupt that nobody can ever finger anybody else. Same same but different people in (supposed) charge.

[Felt 35]

The Airport or Thailand?

Hopefully both, but that will take some time......

[falux]

The Airport or Thailand?

Hopefully both, but that will take some time......

I have a simple solution for you.. Bugger off.

[Scott]

This situation is constant with workmanship here. It's not about a "rush" job. This airport has been being planned for 40 years--enough time. It's not about flooding--for God's sake this is the tropics, they will always have rain, water and floods. It's about workmanship, corruption and laziness.

My neighbor built a new house. They spent two years building the thing. I figured it was going to be earthquake resistant etc. Within 1 month of completion, the balcony had separated from the upstairs wall. I am guessing that they have 1 month before it caves in completely.