Chiang Mai authorities to curb sky lantern release after airliner grounded

CHIANG MAI, 6 January 2015 (NNT) – Authorities in Chiang Mai are set to meet on Friday to deliberate measures to curb the release of sky lanterns after as many as 206 landed inside Chiang Mai Airport during the night of New Year's Eve and the following morning. Some of the lanterns were also found inside the jet engine of an airliner at the airport.

Provincial Governor Suriya Prasatbandit said on Monday the release of sky lanterns has become a tourism selling point of Chiang Mai Province. Previously, the sky lanterns were released only during the Loy Krathong (Yipeng) Festival. At present the lanterns are released almost on every occasion, resulting in several fires and disruptions to air traffic. Mr. Suriya said all relevant local agencies will meet on Friday to discuss measures and laws currently available for use in curbing the release of the sky lanterns. The meeting will also deliberate curfew periods for the release of sky lanterns, and areas where releases are banned.

Governor Suriya added that authorities will also devise measures to ensure that sellers of sky lanterns only make available products that fall in accord with the established standard.

Group Captain Wisut Chanthana, director of Chiang Mai Airport, told media that sky lanterns that fall in accordance with the law should not cause damage to aircraft engines. However, there currently are illegal varieties that are fitted with gas canisters or other modifications that can harm aircraft. He noted that nonetheless, it is preferable that no foreign objects enter the engine as there is always a risk of causing harm.

Firefighters at Chiang Mai Airport told the media that 206 sky lanterns were collected from airport grounds during the night of New Year's Eve and the following morning. In comparison, 30-40 were collected each night during the Loy Krathong Festival. The shocking number of sky lanterns that made their way into the airport was attributed to the wind direction on the night of New Year's Eve, which blew the lanterns into the airport from the main release sites in downtown Chiang Mai.

-- NNT 2015-01-06

Floating sky lanterns need to be controlled seriously



BANGKOK: -- An independent academic in Southeast Asian Study called on concerned government agencies to educate business operators and tourists about the danger of floating the sky lanterns and to have a law to control it.

The call of Mr Somrit Ruechai came after a sky lantern was found to get stuck in a turbine engine of Bangkok Airways’ Airbus 320 plane after it flew from Suvarnabhumi airport and landed at Chiang Mai airport last week.

Its return flight to Suvarnabhumi airport was cancelled and all passengers transferred to other flights back.

The incident went viral in the social network about the aviation safety of airports in the North while floating sky lanterns could not yet be controlled.

Chiang Mai airport also reported that it authorities collected hundreds of sky lantern debris on its compound at the same day when a lantern got stuck in the Airbus plane’s turbine.

Mr Samrit recalled that in the past floating sky lanterns would be done only on significant days, particularly of the Lanna people.

They would float lantern into the sky on a winter night so that moisture in the air would help to extinguish the fire when it went up.

The floated lantern to let evils or bad lucks go with it, he said.

But today it appeared that more lanterns were floated on many occasions and on many festivals with beliefs that lantern would carry away their bad lucks.

Such belief has been spread and make it a boom among tourists, he said.

This prompted serious consideration by all relevant government agencies that they must be controlled for aviation safety and education is needed to give knowledge to tour operators and the people of safety awareness, in addition to practical law to control it, he added.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/floating-sky-lanterns-need-controlled-seriously


-- Thai PBS 2015-01-06

Better luck sending the Temperance Union marching down Loi Kroh Road to convert the workers and punters.

and just exactly who is going to educate tour operators and tourists? I know, a warning label printed in 25 languages on the lantern: Do not fly within 5 kilometers of low flying aircraft.

i often wonder if this is a serious FOD issue to aircraft especially on take off

I am confused. What is the difference between a lantern and a bird . Surely engines are designed to handle both ?

I am confused. What is the difference between a lantern and a bird . Surely engines are designed to handle both ?

A bird can manuoevre to avoid an aircraft.

Thailand is slowly turning into Bannedland.

The difference between a bird and a lantern?
Well i guess metal wire versus some bone and flame would be obvious.

I am confused. What is the difference between a lantern and a bird . Surely engines are designed to handle both ?

As they say in Thai.... "555." You are kidding...please tell us you are just Joking!