BANGKOKPOST,OGGI
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Airports cannot be reopened quickly
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Must pass checks, get standards certification[/SIZE]
There will be inevitable delays in bringing Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports back into operation when the anti-government demonstrators eventually disperse.
Anemptyairliner takes off from Suvarnabhumi airport after the People’s Alliance for Democracy agreed to let all 88 stranded planes fly out. SOMCHAI POOMLARD
Neither the government nor officials of Airports of Thailand (AoT) really know how badly the airports have been affected by the occupation by thousands of People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) supporters.
"We cannot say anything for now because we have no idea how much damage has been done," AoT acting president Serirat Pasutanond said yesterday.
However, it was unlikely the process would be quick, because staff would have to go through complicated and stringent checks, make repairs if needed and get re-certification, he said.
"Even the complex IT systems at the two airports will have to be rebooted and calibrated, just like when you start-up a new airport," he said.
Ground handling equipment and other support facilities which were moved out from Suvarnabhumi to U-tapao airport would also have to be moved back to Suvarnabhumi.
"It could take days, weeks or even months, only God knows how long," a frustrated Mr Serirat said.
The PAD security detail has not allowed airport or airline workers to enter the area once they left. Most of the surveillance TV cameras at the two airports have also been disabled.
Before the operations can resume, the AoT will first need to ensure that the airports are back up to standard. They will have to be checked by the Department of Civil Aviation under the yardstick established by the International Civil Aviation Organisation, an agency of the United Nations.
An endorsement from aviation authorities of the United States, the European Union and international airlines would also be needed.
The likelihood is that U-tapao airfield, a navy facility in Rayong province, will continue to serve commercial air traffic while Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang are inactive.
However, U-tapao has only a limited capacity and is jam-packed with passengers, mostly stranded foreigners, and has been struggling to cope with a backlog of flights.
Airline executives gave a sigh of relief after the PAD allowed them to fly out the 88 aircraft which had been parked at Suvarnabhumi since Tuesday, to eliminate the risk of damage to the planes.
AoT officials were worried that the planes could be vandalised at the airport.
About 50 of the planes flew out on Sunday evening and the remaining aircraft were to leave today, if the airlines were able to find pilots.
The US State Department and the European Union have labelled the airport seizures an inappropriate form of protest and urged the protesters to leave the airports peacefully.