Chiang Mai cancels flights so sky lanterns don't hit planes

By Jintamas Saksornchai, Staff Reporter

 

People release sky lanterns during the 2012 Yi Peng festival in Chiang Mai. Photo: John Shedrick / Flickr

 

CHIANG MAI — It’s that time of the year when Thai airspace becomes contested by the launching of thousands of traditional lanterns.

 

Chiang Mai International Airport announced Tuesday that more than 100 domestic and international flights will be canceled or rescheduled to avoid accidents during the sky lantern festival there later this month.

 

Full Story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/2018/11/13/chiang-mai-cancels-flights-so-sky-lanterns-dont-hit-planes/

 

-- © Copyright Khaosod English 2018-11-13

Sensible

Nothing new about this every year the same

 

Everyone knows when the festivals are so why schedule the flights in the first place? It is not rocket science after all.   

This happens every year.

18 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

Thai airspace becomes contested

i doubt whether there is even One person that believed asking the thai public to defer to safety had a ghost of a chance; thais and safety do not mix

Ive flown out of CNX during this and it did NOT make me happy at all seeing these things all over..

 

Sidenote its 1am and just heard my first fireworks show for yet another drunk fest and noise  ugh

 

Booming loud...3 times...cant do this during the DAY???? or even after 6 when dark <deleted>?!

I flew out of CNX a few years ago when the flights had been rescheduled. The check-in area was hell. I learned my lesson.

It is quite incredulous to me that in spite of everyone knowing the dangers to aircraft of launching these lanterns into the skies, people choose to go ahead anyway. It just goes to show a lack of 1)  respect for the law ......although this isn't unusual, 2) common sense ....also not unusual, and 3) a complete disregard for the well being of others..... hmmmm, again, not unusual. Ok, never mind, just cancel the damn flights ????

 

I won't even both talking about the environmental and fire risks.

Amazing Thailand - they wouldn't even care if a plane went down cause their stupid lanterns. Why does the airliners even sell tickets around Loy Kratong and New Year ?

Sky lanterns since 1927 ? and airplanes in CM since 2001.  

At least Chiang Mai acknowledges that the festival with it's lanterns is important enough to compromise a solution by setting times for lantern releases and restricting air traffic instead of restricting them all together which seems to be Bangkok's preferred approach to most things (happiness to the people - well those people ruling the roost that is).

And then on the side of safety, modern jets are built to withstand 'bird strikes' through the engine.  A Kom Lei lantern isn't going to do any significant damage to a jet engine and I know of no record case of a commercial airliner being brought down by Kom Lei lanterns.

Sky lanterns since 1927 ? and airplanes in CM since 2001.  

Is 2001 when they started night operations?


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Pretty fast lanterns in order to hit a plane ????

5 hours ago, Redline said:

Pretty fast lanterns in order to hit a plane ????

They are the new Russian S-500 version Kom Lei lanterns. 

I've seen many of those lanterns and all (?) have stiff steel wire as supports.  Those wires maybe could damage the fan blades moving at 4000 rpm.  Bird bones are far less strong than steel wire.

I say 'let the planes and tourists wait' coz i luv to watch the lanterns drift over the night sky from my tall roof top in Santitham.

 

And of course i'm not at all interested in watching a 737 mash into CM city.

On 11/13/2018 at 5:55 PM, snoop1130 said:

100 domestic and international flights will be canceled or rescheduled

I guess it is easier to dictate to and control airlines than it is to control the drunken revelers!  Imagine the cost of delaying/cancelling flights and the loss, to the local economy, of all the tourist dollars.

coronation st any one ?