Thai Airways will cut about 30 flights from Bangkok on Tuesday as heavy rain and flooding continue to disrupt its ground operations, with around 5,600 bags still stranded at Suvarnabhumi International Airport.
The cancellations represent about 30% of the airline’s planned departures from Bangkok and will continue for at least three days, Thai Airways CEO Chai Eamsiri said.
“Almost 100% of flights over the past two days were delayed, with fewer than 3% on schedule as operational capacity could not be sustained,” he told reporters.
Although Bangkok’s main airports remained operational through the weekend, flooding severely disrupted baggage handling at Suvarnabhumi. The Thai Air Force deployed 69 personnel on Monday to help support Thai Airways’ ground operations.
Chai said the airline expected to clear the backlog of around 5,600 bags within 72 hours.
The disruption follows heavy rain that brought around 320mm of rainfall to Bangkok over two to three days last week, close to the amount the city typically receives throughout September.
The Thai government expects floodwater in Bangkok to recede within three days if there is no further heavy rain.
At least 23 people have died across Thailand, including four in Bangkok, following heavy rain and flooding in 42 provinces since Sept 16, according to the Interior Ministry.
The floods have also affected businesses across the country. Industry Minister Varawut Silpa-archa said 1,267 businesses in 40 provinces had been affected, including 52 factories and 1,162 small and medium enterprises.
The government has approved more than 4 billion baht (US$119 million) to address the impact of the floods, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said. A separate 160 billion baht long-term drainage project has also been approved.
Nationwide economic damage from the flooding has been estimated at more than US$320 million.
