Runway cracks resolved: Phuket Airport gets back on smooth flight path

Airports of Thailand’s Phuket branch, responsible for managing Phuket International Airport, confirmed yesterday, that the runway cracks which led to multiple flight delays and one diversion to Krabi have been addressed and rectified.

The announcement was initially made via state-run Radio Thailand Phuket last night. It was also announced by the National News Bureau of Thailand’s national platform but it appeared they refrained from posting it via the local Public Relations Department (PR Phuket). The Airports of Thailand Phuket branch has yet to make a statement through its own channels.

The statement clarified its release was a response to social media posts that initially brought attention to the issue. It was a Facebook Group titled Outsider’s Aviation that first raised concerns that were later shared by the Phuket Info Centre. In the absence of these online alerts, it was reported that the Airports of Thailand Phuket branch would not have identified the problem.

The issues were first outlined in government reports when Phuket airport described the malfunction as cracks on the runway, which disrupted aircraft landings. The repairs were completed swiftly, returning the landing strip to normal operations.

The announcement further reiterated information that was previously made available on social media. It confirmed that the runway complications had necessitated flight alterations for several aircraft, including the likes of Qatar Airways B777-300ER and Air Asia A320 amongst others. A Bangkok Airways flight decided to reroute to Krabi for safety concerns. The statement said…

“Following assessment at Phuket airport, it was discovered that around 12.24pm, aircraft were unable to safely land. The issue was a crack on Runway 27 [Phuket airport’s only runway], an issue that was immediately reported to the air traffic control tower.”

It went on to describe that the runway returned to normal use around 2.15pm after necessary repair works were conducted. The document highlighted that Weerasak Insaeng, the Director of Maintenance at Phuket Airport, confessed to the runway impairment due to cracks, which prevented secure landings.

While the cause is currently under examination, preliminary repairs have been completed to restore normal landing operations. The airport has plans for long-term repairs for the runway, the statement indicated. However, the drafting of this plan could prove challenging due to continuous flight activity that would require thorough scheduling against runway closures.

The statement concluded by reminiscing about a similar incident that occurred in May, wherein a hole in the runway prompted similar flight delays and safety concerns.

The rectification of such runway issues is crucial for maintaining safe and efficient flight operations out of Phuket airport. Increased vigilance and more stringent maintenance measures could prevent further such incidents, ensuring the robustness of one of Thailand’s busiest airports.