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Suvarnabhumi » Suvarnabhumi runway declared safe

Sunday, July 20th, 2008

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A two-week investigation into about 100 cracks that have appeared on the taxiways and a runway of Bangkok’s $3.9-billion-dollar Suvarnabhumi Airport found that the damage is less serious than expected, inspectors said Monday.

“Judging from our two-week investigation, I’m confident that the runway is safe,” said Tortrakul Yomnak, a chief engineer for the Airports of Thailand government agency, which led the inquiry.

The cracks, mostly found in the taxiways and at the tip of the east runway where jets start off, has also led to speculation that Suvarnabhumi might need to be closed for major repairs.

But the investigation into the problem has revealed that the cracks are primarily on the surface and do not indicate a major problem with the engineering work below the tarmac, Tortrakul said.

Tortrakul, who two weeks ago was warning that the airport might need to be closed for three years, concluded Monday that repairs to the runway, one of two at the airport, would take at most one month or a few hours.

He refused to directly answer reporters’ questions as to whether Suvarnabhumni would need to be closed for repairs.

Thailand has been sending mixed signals about Suvarnabhumi Airport, which has become part of a broader political struggle.

Suvarnabhumi was a pet project of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted by a military coup on September 19 on charges of corruption and dividing the nation.

Thaksin, a billionaire telecommunications tycoon turned politician, claimed responsibility for pushing the 3.9-billion-dollar project through to completion although he was heavily criticized for rushing construction and allowing corrupt deals to flourish on the 40+ years Suvarnabhumi Airport construction project.

Last week, the cabinet agreed to allow both Don Muang, the capital’s old airport, which closed to commercial flights on September 28, and Suvarnabhumi to operate as international airports.

A decision to actually reopen Don Muang has not yet been announced.

Don Muang, which served as the capital’s airport for 92 years, is on land owned by the Air Force, which has always benefited financially from the commercial airport.

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