Thai Airways is cutting flights from Bangkok as the city begins recovering from severe flooding that disrupted airport operations, leaving thousands of passengers facing major delays and a large backlog of unclaimed baggage.
The airline plans to reduce departures from Bangkok by around 30% to 40% over the coming days as it works to stabilize operations at Suvarnabhumi Airport. Chief Executive Chai Eamsiri said the airline had been unable to maintain its normal schedule because many ground staff could not reach work due to flooding.
Around 5,000 to 5,600 pieces of baggage remain stranded at the airport. Thai Airways has set a target of clearing the backlog within 72 hours, while additional personnel, including military staff, have been deployed to support ground operations.
The disruption became particularly severe from Sept. 26, with passengers reporting waits of several hours and, in some cases, overnight delays to collect their luggage. Thai Airways said fewer than 3% of its flights departed on time during the worst period of disruption.
The airline has also arranged for delayed baggage registered through its QR system to be delivered to passengers’ homes through courier services. Some passengers can collect luggage directly from designated service points at Suvarnabhumi Airport.
Thai Airways has announced selected cancellations for Sept. 29 and 30, including flights between Bangkok and Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, New Delhi, Frankfurt, Munich and Brussels. Passengers affected by the cancellations have been advised to contact the airline for updated arrangements.
The airport disruption comes as Bangkok’s floodwaters gradually recede. Heavy rain last week affected hundreds of thousands of households across the capital, while flooding disrupted roads, public transport, businesses and access to workplaces.
Thai authorities have begun recovery efforts as conditions improve, but the disruption at Suvarnabhumi shows that the effects of the flooding are continuing even as major roads and other parts of Bangkok return toward normal operations.
