Suvarnabhumi International Airport will return to full operation at 11:00 am on Friday, including check-in and immigration, Airports of Thailand chief Serirat Prasutanont said Thursday. December 5 is His Majesty the King’s birthday.
The airport sieges by supporters of People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD), which went on for a week, had stranded more than 300,000 travelers. Airlines such as Thai Airways, Bangkok Airways, Singapore Airlines, China Airlines, and Japan Airlines have already requested to start flying out of Suvarnabhumi, Prasutanont said.
Representatives of the International Civil Aviation Organization, the International Air Transport Association, and foreign embassies will visit the airport on Friday to inspect safety and security.
An initial inspection found no damage to taxiways, runways, and key systems because the PAD demonstrators occupied only the front area of the passenger terminal, according to Civil Aviation Department chief Chaisak Angsuwan.
Meanwhile, attention of the Thais have now shifted from the airports to His Majesty, who was scheduled to address the nation on the eve of his 81st birthday.
