Thai Airways has landed something of a reprieve from an embargo on cargo services, after concerns over the country’s export sector prompted last-minute government intervention to tackle major labour and equipment shortages provoked by widespread flooding late last week.
Having, on Tuesday, announced a six-day suspension on all cargo bookings from today, which it put down to equipment and personnel shortages, the flag-carrier last night issued a retraction.
“In order to alleviate the inconvenience and operational impact on all stakeholders involved in air cargo transportation, Thai Cargo Terminal Operations has considered it appropriate to cancel the embargo on inbound, outbound, and transhipment cargo,” the carrier said.
The rapid volte-face was helped in no small part by the government making available some 130 members of the military, with another 100 planned, to support ground handling services, amid mounting concerns for the country’s export sector, with 33% of exports moving by air.
Those concerns led transport minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn to tell Thai Airways to keep cargo services operating, adding: “We will not leave the burden with any one party. We will work together and share responsibility.”
Indeed, support has also been forthcoming from Airports of Thailand, which, with government support, made extra covered space available to Thai Airways to enable it to clear the backlog created by the cancellation of multiple services.
Despite a month’s worth of rain falling on Bangkok and Central Thailand in just a few days, flights and airports were not directly affected, one MNC told The Loadstar this morning services had continued “running normally”.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand noted that flooding had left many ground service staff unable to travel to work, affecting loading and unloading of aircraft, with Thai Airways particularly affected.
The impact is noticeable in data supplied by Rotate, which indicated week-on-week exports to North America fell 65%, with Europe-destined volumes falling by 200 tonnes over the same period, down 5% week on week.
Commerce minister Suphajee Suthumpun expressed concern that the immediate hit in export values was secondary, claiming “more worrying” was the potential “impact on the confidence of trading partners and businesses”.