Thai Airways has apologised to passengers after flooding around Bangkok caused widespread flight delays, cancellations and a backlog of about 5,600 bags at Suvarnabhumi Airport.
Thai Airways chief executive Chai Eamsiri said today, September 29, that many employees had been unable to reach work because their homes and surrounding areas were flooded.
The airline had prepared contingency plans from September 26, but staffing fell below expectations as both general workers and employees requiring specialist skills or licences were affected.
Thai Airways used military-supported GMC vehicles to collect some specialist staff from their homes, while additional manpower was provided by the Air Force and Defence Ministry.
Chai said the shortage of licensed and skilled workers remained the main problem, as those positions could not simply be filled by other staff.
Almost all Thai Airways flights were delayed over the previous two days, while more than 300 flights had been affected over the past three days.
The airline normally operates about 110 flights from Bangkok each day but planned to cut capacity by around 30%, equivalent to more than 30 flights.
Some flights were cancelled, while passengers were transferred to other services. The airline also shifted some ground-handling work to other operators because it could no longer maintain its normal workload.
Chai said Thai Airways had been affected more heavily than some other airlines because Bangkok is its main operating base and more of its ground operations must be handled there.
The airline was also working to clear about 5,600 delayed bags at Suvarnabhumi Airport. Bags were being sorted by flight and travel date, with Thai Airways announcing through its Facebook page and website when passengers could collect them.
Bags that were not collected would be delivered to passengers, with three contractors brought in to assist. The airline is using passenger details submitted through its QR code system to match luggage with its owners.
It aims to clear the backlog within about 72 hours while keeping baggage from new flights separate so it does not add to the existing pile.
Chai said only around half of the specialist staff needed for normal operations had returned to work.
The shortage was particularly severe among loadmasters, with about 20 currently available from a normal workforce of around 45. Some managers holding the necessary licences had also been sent to supervise operations on the apron.
Thai Airways had originally expected to maintain around 80% of normal operating capacity during the flooding, but staffing levels fell below that estimate as employees became stranded at home.
Cargo operations also contributed to the disruption. Businesses were unable to collect some freight arriving at Suvarnabhumi because they were facing their own labour shortages.
This caused cargo to accumulate inside Thai Airways facilities and prevented some equipment used to unload aircraft from being returned quickly enough for other flights.
The airline was working with operators to remove cargo and free up warehouse space and equipment.
Chai said Thai Airways had not yet assessed the financial damage from the disruption and was focusing first on restoring operations.
He also rejected claims circulating on social media that the problems were caused deliberately by employees, saying many workers were unable to leave flooded homes or had family responsibilities during the flooding.
Thai Airways is offering additional compensation to some skilled workers and continuing efforts to bring licensed staff back into service.
Chai ended by saying, “Nobody wanted this to happen. If you ask why we didn’t prevent it, we did. But the situation was bigger than we had expected.”
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