ID :
32995
Sat, 11/29/2008 - 22:27
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/32995
The shortlink copeid
THREE MORE FLIGHTS OUT OF UTAPAO BY MAS SATURDAY By D. Arul Rajoo
BANGKOK, Nov 29 (Bernama) -- Malaysia Airlines is mounting three flights on
Saturday and another three on Sunday from the Utapao Airport near Pattaya to
facilitate the movements of its stranded passengers in Thailand as authorities
remain on the drawing board whether to reopen Bangkok's two main
gateways.
AirAsia, which used to have seven flights from Kuala Lumpur to Bangkok, is
also bringing in one flight today and scheduled to depart Utapao at
7.20pm.
MAS Area Manager for Thailand A. Vijakumaran said flight MH785 would leave
Utapao at 11.05am and MH789 at 2.15pm. Both have been fully booked and would use
Airbus aircraft with the capacity of 294 seats each.
He said MAS managed to get the third slot which would take off at 7.55pm
from Utapao and limited seats were still available.
On Sunday, the three flights would leave Utapao at 11.05am (MH785), 2.15pm
(MH789) and 5.10pm (MH783) and tickets were still available.
The airport is located about 140km from Bangkok with travelling time of
about two and half hours by road.
The plan by Malaysian government to bring in a military aircraft to carry
its stranded citizens, however, has been put on hold due to difficulties in
getting a slot at the congested Utapao airport.
Anti-government protesters forced the closure of the Suvarnabhumi and Don
Muang airports in the capital since Monday night, stranding close to 100,000
passengers.
Due to lack of facilities at the naval base airport of Utapao, the Thai
authorities declined to grant more slots to airlines, which are struggling to
cope with thousands of stranded passengers and growing demand to leave the
country as fear of coup and violence rises.
There are only three check-in counters and one luggage scanner at the
airport, but authorities are making it more difficult for the frustrated
passengers who had to fork another 400 baht (US$11.23) for airport taxes despite
already paying 700 baht (US$19.65) in their original tickets.
The Tourism and Sports Ministry and the Tourism Authority of Thailand are
providing accommodation for stranded passengers and it is estimated that they
need about 200 million baht (US$5,6 million)a day for that purpose.
Police have not move in to disperse the protesters at the two airports so
far but are likely to do so soon, after the government removed national police
chief Patcharawat Wongsuwan on Friday.
-- BERNAMA
Saturday and another three on Sunday from the Utapao Airport near Pattaya to
facilitate the movements of its stranded passengers in Thailand as authorities
remain on the drawing board whether to reopen Bangkok's two main
gateways.
AirAsia, which used to have seven flights from Kuala Lumpur to Bangkok, is
also bringing in one flight today and scheduled to depart Utapao at
7.20pm.
MAS Area Manager for Thailand A. Vijakumaran said flight MH785 would leave
Utapao at 11.05am and MH789 at 2.15pm. Both have been fully booked and would use
Airbus aircraft with the capacity of 294 seats each.
He said MAS managed to get the third slot which would take off at 7.55pm
from Utapao and limited seats were still available.
On Sunday, the three flights would leave Utapao at 11.05am (MH785), 2.15pm
(MH789) and 5.10pm (MH783) and tickets were still available.
The airport is located about 140km from Bangkok with travelling time of
about two and half hours by road.
The plan by Malaysian government to bring in a military aircraft to carry
its stranded citizens, however, has been put on hold due to difficulties in
getting a slot at the congested Utapao airport.
Anti-government protesters forced the closure of the Suvarnabhumi and Don
Muang airports in the capital since Monday night, stranding close to 100,000
passengers.
Due to lack of facilities at the naval base airport of Utapao, the Thai
authorities declined to grant more slots to airlines, which are struggling to
cope with thousands of stranded passengers and growing demand to leave the
country as fear of coup and violence rises.
There are only three check-in counters and one luggage scanner at the
airport, but authorities are making it more difficult for the frustrated
passengers who had to fork another 400 baht (US$11.23) for airport taxes despite
already paying 700 baht (US$19.65) in their original tickets.
The Tourism and Sports Ministry and the Tourism Authority of Thailand are
providing accommodation for stranded passengers and it is estimated that they
need about 200 million baht (US$5,6 million)a day for that purpose.
Police have not move in to disperse the protesters at the two airports so
far but are likely to do so soon, after the government removed national police
chief Patcharawat Wongsuwan on Friday.
-- BERNAMA
