Phuket flight denied landing as smog shrouds Chiang Mai

PHUKET: A flight from Phuket was forced to abort landing at Chiang Mai International Airport today after smog reduced visibility over the northern city to 800 meters, reported The Nation.

Air Asia Flight FD3161 departed Phuket on time at 10:35am, but was unable to make its scheduled landing at Chiang Mai at 12:30pm for safety reasons.

Bangkok Airways Flight PG241 from Samui was also refused landing permission, as were Thai International Airways Flight TG106 from Suvarnabhumi and Lion Air Flight SL8504 from Don Mueang, both arriving from Bangkok.

The ban on landing at Chiang Mai was lifted after 1pm, with all four flights finally able to touch down this afternoon.

Chiang Mai residents have been plagued with unusually thick smog since the beginning of the month, with a record high for the year set on March 10 (story here).

— The Nation / Phuket Gazette