Thailand's image has been destroyed miserably. There is no law, order, peace or security.
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For 2nd day, no flights to Bangkok
Top News
Written by Recto Mercene / Reporter
Thursday, 27 November 2008 23:53


FOR the second day, Philippine Airlines (PAL) called off its morning flight to Bangkok for Friday, and is considering scrapping the evening service, as well, depending on the situation on the ground as the political standoff continues in the Thai capital.

PAL also canceled its two flights to Bangkok on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the office of Thai Airways at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) posted several signs saying its office at the Suvarnabhumi airport in Thailand remains closed to clients due to the unstable political situation there. The airline told passengers they would be rebooked as soon as the situation normalizes.

The Airline Operators Council (AOC) at the Naia said Suvarnabhumi airport would allow only international airlines to land during emergency and distress situations, as dictated by international laws.

“They can’t deny aircraft on emergency or in a similar distressed situation like someone being sick onboard, asking for permission to land,” the AOC officials said.

The same official said the airspace in Mumbai, India, was also temporarily closed due to the series of deadly terrorist attacks there at dawn Thursday that killed more than 100 so far, and that all international airlines were advised, through a notice to airmen, to seek alternative routes to avoid untoward incidents.

Thursday’s canceled PAL flights were PR 730, a wide-body Airbus A330-300 service originally scheduled to depart for Bangkok at 10:30 a.m., and PR 732, a narrow-body Airbus A320 flight slated to take off for Bangkok at 7:05 p.m. Their respective return flights were also canceled.

Friday’s canceled flight was supposed to be a wide-body Airbus A340-300 service that would operate as flight PR 730, with a published departure time of 10:30 a.m.

Both PAL flights on November 26 were canceled as the Thailand Airport Authority shut Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport out of concern for passengers’ safety when antigovernment mobs took over the facility. The airspace over Bangkok remains closed to air traffic.

Affected PAL passengers are advised to monitor news media or contact PAL’s 24-hour flight information telephone number 855-9999 for updates.

Cebu Pacific Air (CEB) flights 5J 931 and 5J 932 Manila-Bangkok-Manila scheduled on Thursday were also canceled. Affected passengers are asked to rebook their flights for travel in the next 15 days.

CEB passengers may call the Cebu Pacific reservations at (632) 702-0888 and (6232) 320-8888.

German flag carrier Lufthansa, which uses the Bangkok airport as its hub in Southeast Asia, said affected passengers of flights to the Thai capital have been rebooked to other airlines.

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