Aircraft operators at Suvarnabhumi, Thailand's gateway airport, are braced for impact with the scheduled closure of part of a runway for repairs.
A 1,250-metre section of the northern runway, 4,000 metres in overall length, will undergo scheduled maintenance involving resurfacing from March 3 to May 5.
The 60-day job will reduce the airport's overall capacity to handle aircraft movements to 60 an hour from the current 68.
Suvarnabhumi general manager Sirote Duangratana said yesterday that the impact to air traffic would be unavoidable, particularly during April's Songkran holiday, but would be kept to a minimum.
He allayed concerns by citing statistics showing that aircraft movements during the busy January-February period topped out at 58 an hour in years past.
"Much of the air traffic during Songkran is through Don Mueang airport on domestic flights operated by low-cost carriers, so that should ease pressure on Suvarna-bhumi," Mr Sirote told the Bangkok Post.
The resurfacing does not mean that the entire northern runway will be out of service. The head of the runway, where aircraft touch down, will be closed for maintenance, leaving the remaining 2,750 metres in service.
During the repairs, the 2,750-metre section will accommodate take-offs by aircraft that require a shorter runway distance, such as the narrow-body Airbus A320 and Boeing 737.
The other runway at Suvarnabhumi will operate as normal but will probably take on a heavier load, especially for landings of wide-body jets and other aircraft types, as well as take-offs by large aircraft that require a long runway.
The repairs will cost 140 million baht and must be completed before the rainy season begins in May, Mr Sirote said.
Pilots and all concerned parties were notified about the pending runway repair on Dec 22, he said.