Runway at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport after a Thai Airways 747 Skidded Off Runway in Heavy Rains

BANGKOK – Officials at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport have re-opened a runway after a Thai Airways international flight from China skidding off course while landing in heavy rain on Monday night.

Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith thanked all who contributed to safely and efficiently retrieving a “jumbo jet” that had skidded off the runway, with the time required to free the plane and clear the scene kept under four hours yesterday – about 90 minutes less than the estimated completion time.

Arkhom said the Aircraft Accident Investigation Committee Office would speedily probe the incident’s cause.

According to Flight Lieutenant Pratthana Pattanasirim, THAI’s director of security and flight standards division, no one was injured when flight TG 679 skidded off the runway.

The Boeing 747400 had 97 passengers and 18 crew on board.

It left Guangzhou at 8.58pm (local time) and arrived at Suvarnabhumi at 10.48pm.

Passengers were safely transferred from the plane to the terminal and THAI gave them snacks and drinks while they waited for their luggage.

Pratthana said the airline would cooperate with other agencies to investigate the cause of the accident.

In September of 2013, A Thai Airways plane carrying more than 280 people skidded off the runway while landing at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport airport, injuring 14 passengers.

The Airbus A330-300 that departed from Guangzhou, China, had a “glitch” in its wheel base while landing at Suvarnabhumi Airport.

After touchdown at Suvarnabhumi Airport, the landing gear malfunctioned and caused the aircraft to skid off the runway.