Damaged runway to be repaired by Friday: airport

A damaged section of taxiway E21 at the airport prompted a structural assessment after an Emirates Airbus A380 halted taxiing on the taxiway on Monday night, with ground-handling operator Bangkok Flight Services towing the aircraft clear at 10.18pm and the jet departing four minutes later.

The incident marked a second aircraft taxiing mishap at the airport in five days, following a China Airlines Boeing 737-800 becoming stuck on runway 02R on Oct 28 during preparations to take off for Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

airport officials attribute the taxiway damage to prolonged heavy rain and flooding, which may have allowed water to accumulate beneath the surface and weakened pavement under the aircraft’s weight, necessitating a structural assessment of E21 and nearby areas.

Repairs began at 7pm on Tuesday, with an expected completion at 8am the following day, and include a curing period to ensure the repaired pavement reaches sufficient strength before regular use resumes.

During the closure, traffic will rely on the two remaining runways, and authorities say Aeronautical Radio of Thailand has adequate capacity to handle flights; the airport is also preparing to open a newly completed extension of taxiway D near the damaged area to provide an additional route for aircraft accessing runway 02R-20L, pending approval from the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand.