Thailand’s national flag carrier, Thai Airways, cancelled around 75 flights on Sept. 30, leaving more than 1,000 transit passengers stranded at Suvarnabhumi Airport, the second largest airport in Southeast Asia.
The flight cancellations and wider disruptions were caused by severe staff shortages after severe flooding in Bangkok prevented airline employees from reaching the airport, The Nation Thailand reported.
In addition to stranding passengers, the staffing shortages resulted in a backlog of more than 5,000 bags and halted the airline’s cargo handling operations.
|
Passengers arrive at the Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, Thailand, on Jan. 4, 2023. Photo by Reuters |
The airline has ordered a 30% reduction in daily flights to allow operations to reset and improve punctuality.
Airports of Thailand has offered additional staff to help clear the luggage backlog, while Thai Airways remains responsible for baggage sorting and overall supervision, The Tiger reported.
Suvarnabhumi Airport and the Tourism Authority of Thailand were providing food and drinking water to passengers in the transit area while alternative flights were being arranged.
Thai Airways International’s baggage mishandling and flight delays caused by flooding have damaged Thailand’s tourism image and weakened confidence in the sector, Tourism and Sports Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul said Tuesday, as quoted by the Bangkok Post.