Nearly 40 flights cancelled at Suvarnabhumi as Pakistan shuts airspace

By The Nation

 

Stranded passengers wait at the check-in area at the Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok on February 28, 2019./AFP

 

Almost 4,000 passengers and more than 30 flights at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport were affected by Pakistan’s closure of its airspace since Wednesday, Suthirawat Suwannarat, general manager of Suvarnabhumi Airport, said on Thursday.

 

The airspace closure caused the cancellation of 16 arrival flights and 20 departure flights at the Bangkok’s airport. 

 

Of those cancelled, 11 flights belong to Thai Airways.

 

However, all flights of THAI to Europe can resume operation today by changing their route via China and the southern part of Russia’s airspace, he said at a press conference.

 

The airport urged passengers to check flight schedules from airlines before leaving for the airport in order to reduce congestion at the airport. Passengers can call AOT contact centre on 1722 for more information.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30364979

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2019-02-28

I'd rather fly over the ocean than fly over or via Pakistan.

Edited February 28, 20197 yr by SweetStickyRice

Thousands stranded in Bangkok as flights affected by India Pakistan tensions

by Panarat Thepgumpanat, Panu Wongcha-um

 

Passengers pass their time after Thai Airway cancelled all the flights to and from Europe at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, Thailand February 28, 2019. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thousands of travelers were stranded in Bangkok on Thursday when Thai Airways International canceled more than a dozen flights to and from Europe after Pakistan closed its airspace amid rising tensions with India.

 

Thai Airways flights resumed by Thursday afternoon after the airline secured permission to reroute flights over Chinese airspace, but it could take up to three days to clear a backlog of 3,000 passengers, an airline official said.

 

Flights to and from London, Munich, Paris, Brussels, Milan, Vienna, Stockholm, Zurich, Copenhagen, Oslo, Frankfurt and Rome had been scheduled to fly over Pakistani airspace on Thursday, Thai Airways said in a statement.

 

Most of the airline’s European flights leave after midnight and the cancellations left scores of passengers stuck at Suvarnabhumi International Airport on the outskirts of Bangkok.

 

Thailand is among the world’s most popular tourist destinations, drawing more than 38 million visitors last year, about 6.8 million of them from Europe.

 

‘YOU HAVE TO WAIT’

 

Swiss tourist Gerlinde Hoff, 60, stayed overnight at the airport with her husband and by midday was still waiting for another flight home.

 

“They only say ‘You have to wait, you have to wait, you have to wait,’ she said.

 

“I’m angry and I’m tired. It was such a nice holiday and now it’s a little bit not so nice”.

 

Airport director Suthirawat Suwannawat said 20 flights from Bangkok were canceled and three planes that had left were forced to return when Pakistan closed its airspace on Wednesday night.

 

“There were around 4,900 passengers in transit ... About 4,000 were Thai Airways passengers,” he said, adding that Taiwan’s EVA Airways had rerouted its 900 affected travelers.

 

EVA officials could not be reached for comment.

 

Thai Airways resumed its European flights later on Thursday after China granted permission to use its airspace, but service to and from Pakistan remained on hold.

 

The airline operates one flight a day to Karachi and Lahore and four flights per week to Islamabad.

 

Thera Buasri, director of Thai Airways’ ground operations control department, told reporters that stranded passengers had boarded flights home by Thursday afternoon, and the airline may send passengers on partner airlines.

 

“It’s now down to 3,000 remaining,” he said. “It’s expected to take no longer than three days to send them all off to their destinations”.

 

Pakistan closed its airspace on Wednesday as tensions with India escalated following tit-for-tat air strikes in the wake of a suicide attack that killed 40 Indian police in Indian-controlled Kashmir on Feb. 14.

 

World powers have urged restraint between the two nuclear-armed South Asian neighbors, who have fought two wars over the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir.

 

Many airlines route flights over Pakistan and the closure of its airspace caused major disruptions on Wednesday.

 

China’s civil aviation authority said at least 40 flights by foreign carriers had been diverted through its airspace.

 

Emirates and Qatar Airways suspended flights to Pakistan and others, such as Singapore Airlines and British Airways, were forced to reroute flights.

 

On Thursday, Singapore Airlines said its Europe-bound flights would continue as planned and be rerouted as necessary to avoid the affected airspace.

 

Malaysia Airlines said on its website it was not currently flying over the affected airspace.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-02-28

1 hour ago, SweetStickyRice said:

I'd rather fly over the ocean than fly over or via Pakistan.

'I'd rather walk over the ocean than fly over or via Pakistan' would make a better quote ????

30 minutes ago, Emmess said:

'I'd rather walk over the ocean than fly over or via Pakistan' would make a better quote ????

For the safety conscious I suggest this route.

One refueling stop in South Africa should be enough

 

Edited February 28, 20197 yr by KhunBENQ

10 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

For the safety conscious I suggest this route.

One refueling stop in South Africa should be enough

 

Gives ‘great circle’ navigation a whole new meaning........

11 minutes ago, damascase said:

Gives ‘great circle’ navigation a whole new meaning........

And the great circle Bangkok to Paris would go along here:

(to London a bit further north)

 

 

To avoid serious comments:

the great circle (shortest distance) is not possible to fly anyway.

First obstacle from Thailand would be the Himalayas where no commercial flights are allowed to fly over.

So all traffic passing south.

Edited February 28, 20197 yr by KhunBENQ

When the Indian airforce pilot sends a message wanting "bobs and vagene" but accidentally writes "bombs and vagene"

20 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

For the safety conscious I suggest this route.

One refueling stop in South Africa should be enough

 

Well at one time it did take a montb or two and gave rise to the word POSH.

Port Outward Starboard Home.

Might actually be a nice way to do it nowadays. ????????

God bless Pakistan, they admit their air defense is ^crap.