Phuket Airport Ready For Flood-Redirected Flights

[webfact]

Phuket Airport ready for flood-redirected flights

Phuket Gazette

A Transaero 747 lands at Phuket Airport, which is ready to operate as the

'Emergency Operations Center' in case Suvarnabhumi Aiport in Bangkok

becomes flooded. Photo: Andy Mitchell

PHUKET: -- Phuket International Airport (PIA) is ready to take on the role as the Airport Authority of Thailand (AoT) Emergency Operations Center if Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok succumbs to floods.

“We held a meeting to discuss the possibility of PIA becoming the alternate [main] airport in case Suvarnabhumi Airport is unable to operate,” said an AoT Phuket spokesperson yesterday.

“We are now happy to announce that PIA is ready to be used as the EOC,” she said.

Although Phuket has already entered its tourism high season and the airport is bustling with air traffic, the spokesperson said Phuket Airport was prepared to take on the role.

Staff at the airport will prepare special areas in case of a further increase in air traffic, though they will only be able to handle additional flights at specific hours.

“The PIA can open up one spot for a Boeing 744-400 and a couple spots for Airbus 300 aircraft from midnight to 8am. A couple more spots will be available for Airbus 300 aircraft from 8am to noon,” the spokesperson said.

Somachai Sawasdeepon, AoT Senior Executive Vice President and Acting General Manager of Suvarnabhumi Airport, considers the move as precautionary only.

“Suvarnabhumi Airport is protected by a flood prevention system, which has 3.5-meter-high polder dykes surrounding the whole airport area,” said Mr Somchai.

“The construction of the dykes is very strong and capable of preventing the flood waters [from reaching the airport]. Last week, the Department of Highways drilled the dykes to test their strength and has found them to be highly secure, as long as the water level is lower than 3.5 meters,” Mr Somchai added.

Mr Somchai also confirmed that the airport was operating as usual, still averaging about 100,000 passengers and 900 flights per day.

The PIA has confirmed that all flights between PIA and Suvarnabhumi Airport are still operating as scheduled.

Source: http://www.phuketgazette.net/archives/articles/2011/article11410.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2011-11-11

[draftvader]

Anybody else enjoying the quote "3.5m" surrounded by an element of doubt? Looks like West Bangkok might look like paradise in 10 days time.

[friendphil]

The article doesn't really say what the role of Emergency Operations Center is.

Does anyone know what that might be, and what Phuket International Airport would be needing to do if they were to take on that role?

[finnomick1]

Handy if you are going to errrr, Phuket

[sparebox2]

So the rumour is true?

That BKK airport will be swamped?

[siampolee]

Seems as if yet again , "economies of the truth" regarding the flooding scenario are coming to light.

Lies, dammed lies, statistics, Thai politicians.

[keestha]

OK, but first thing should be then improvising additional parking lot capacity at the airport. Let's hope Suvarnabhumi holds.

[Sunderland]

Of course the water is not going to be over 3.5 metres high! But, do they have their drainage systems completely worked out to stop water coming up under the airport's runways?

[Shurup]

“The PIA can open up one spot for a Boeing 744-400 and a couple spots for Airbus 300 aircraft from midnight to 8am. A couple more spots will be available for Airbus 300 aircraft from 8am to noon,” the spokesperson said.

...................

Mr Somchai also confirmed that the airport was operating as usual, still averaging about 100,000 passengers and 900 flights per day.

PIA says they can open a couple of spots... while Swampi takes 900 flights per day. What PIA is ready for then? There is no substitute for Swampi anywhere in Thailand...

[Sunderland]

If the runway were to be swamped at 'Swampy', where would Emirates land its Airbus A380? My guess would be KL!

[Mitker]

"The PIA can open up one spot for a Boeing 744-400 and a couple spots for Airbus 300 aircraft from midnight to 8am. A couple more spots will be available for Airbus 300 aircraft from 8am to noon," the spokesperson said.

...................

Mr Somchai also confirmed that the airport was operating as usual, still averaging about 100,000 passengers and 900 flights per day.

PIA says they can open a couple of spots... while Swampi takes 900 flights per day. What PIA is ready for then? There is no substitute for Swampi anywhere in Thailand...

Exactly my feeling when we read "PIA becoming the alternate [main] airport in case Suvarnabhumi Airport is unable to operate"

3 spots vs 900 flights... it says it all.

[JoePai]

If the runway were to be swamped at 'Swampy', where would Emirates land its Airbus A380? My guess would be KL!

Very easy - can put down at Pattaya (U-Tapao) with no problem so saying Phuket will take over from Swampy is just silly

[KOZMO]

Doesn't do much good for people on the mainland of thailand. Why not use utapo or chaing mai as a back up? I am in Korat, do i swim to Puket? N0n of the domestic airlines fly into Korat.

[QED]

This is the telling quote:

"We held a meeting to discuss the possibility of PIA becoming the alternate [main] airport in case Suvarnabhumi Airport is unable to operate," said an AoT Phuket spokesperson yesterday.

"We are now happy to announce that PIA is ready to be used as the EOC," she said

So basically they talked about it, they weren't given it, but they are 'ready' if they are needed.

They have already announced Utapao will take the bulk of the traffic if required, just the PIA spokeslady trying to get her name in the paper

Edited November 11, 2011 by QED

[americaninbangkok]

Headline: Phuket Airport ready for flood-redirected flights

Facts:

- BKK handles 900 flights per day

- PIA can handle an extra 5-8 (maybe 15 tops) flights per day

- Don Mueang is flooded and closed and will likely stay that way for 3-4 weeks

- PIA is 850 km from BKK and some rail services have been suspended

- BKK is not only a destination, it is a principal transit hub (meaning that not all passengers want to stay here but instead want move on to their connecting flights to elsewhere... meaning their connecting flights also need to be accessible)

My humble opinion:

A fool had a lot of free time to write this worthless article.

It is grandstanding by airport bosses based on nothing but face-saving "vows" and "promises", just like the ones made in early October ("Don Mueang cannot be flooded." "Inner Bangkok cannot be flooded."). And look where we are today.

[colinscarr]

IF Swampy were to close due to floods, then Chiang Mai plus U Tapao plus Phuket would have nowhere near the capacity to handle diverted traffic. It would be a rerun of the 2008 occupation.

It's not just parking space for the aircraft, it's ground equipment to service them, airline, immigration and customs staff to process thepassengers and so on. Oh, and how to departing passengers from Bangkok get to these alternate airports?

That said, because of the quite monumental loss of face that would be experienced all round if Swampy had to close, I'm fairly confident it will stay open, possibly with some damp patches round the edges.

[keestha]

If the runway were to be swamped at 'Swampy', where would Emirates land its Airbus A380? My guess would be KL!

Very easy - can put down at Pattaya (U-Tapao) with no problem so saying Phuket will take over from Swampy is just silly

U-Tapao has just one runway.

[snamos]

I dont know much about airport runways, but I was under the impression that Phuket is considered quite a large runway, Could it handle an A380? The people might have to depart the aircraft on the lower decks with the 'nok air' stairs onto the runway though

[simon43]

Phuket runway can handle the largest of planes. The main problem is lack of parking space for planes, inadequate immigration staff, desks etc, lack of car parking space etc.

The airport is currently handling about 160 flights per day, but between 1.00am - 6.00am, it is still pretty quiet, with only a few charter flights and schedule flights from China. So extra flights at night is fine, but who wants to fly at that time and who (immigration staff) wants to work at that hour?

Simon

PS - I should add that there is now a second, free car-park available at the airport, but no-one (except me) seems to be using it! It's accessible via the first airport entrance (signposted to cargo and VIP), and can probably handle 300 vehicles.

Edited November 12, 2011 by simon43

[KarenBravo]

I dont know much about airport runways, but I was under the impression that Phuket is considered quite a large runway, Could it handle an A380? The people might have to depart the aircraft on the lower decks with the 'nok air' stairs onto the runway though

Could Phuket handle an A380?

No, there isn't any feasible way to disembark the passengers.

I believe Utapao has one of the longest runways in Asia as it was originally designed for fully loaded B52 bomber aircraft.

Edited November 12, 2011 by KarenBravo

[snamos]

Could Phuket handle an A380?

No, there isn't any feasible way to disembark the passengers.

I believe Utapao has one of the longest runways in Asia as it was originally designed for fully loaded B52 bomber aircraft.

Do it like the budget airlines do...slide the stairs over to the doors, passengers disembark onto the tarmac? or are the A380s too high?

[blackthorn2005]

The article doesn't really say what the role of Emergency Operations Center is.

Does anyone know what that might be, and what Phuket International Airport would be needing to do if they were to take on that role?

They can bring us emergency supplies of much needed beer! lol

[KarenBravo]

Could Phuket handle an A380?

No, there isn't any feasible way to disembark the passengers.

I believe Utapao has one of the longest runways in Asia as it was originally designed for fully loaded B52 bomber aircraft.

Do it like the budget airlines do...slide the stairs over to the doors, passengers disembark onto the tarmac? or are the A380s too high?

Phuket doesn't have tall enough stairs to reach the lower deck, nevermind the upper deck.

[geriatrickid]

If the runway were to be swamped at 'Swampy', where would Emirates land its Airbus A380? My guess would be KL!

Very easy - can put down at Pattaya (U-Tapao) with no problem so saying Phuket will take over from Swampy is just silly

Utap can't take a an AB380 as it doesn't have the jetways, maintenance facilities, nor other necessary equipment. Air carriers will not fly B747, AB380 into airports that do not have the facilities to handle minor issues such as burst tires, windscreen changes etc. Typically, when a plane has anything greater than minor damage, it is "ferried" to BKK or SIN where there are service facilities. Bangkok has the local Star Alliance service center. Howvever, AB uses Shenzen in China, and Lufthansa has its facilities in the Phillipines for the AB320 series. Bangok invested alot into its AB380 support facilities and you just can't easily move them elsewhere. The only reliable option is Singapore, an airport and service sructure that Star Alliance considers the most important in the region. Considering the route reductions announced by Thai and the drop off in PAX loads, I would expect that there will be a reduced need for the big planes for the next few weeks.