Don Mueang airport reopened yesterday, following its four-month closure forced by last year's floods.
A NokAir planemoves past a water curtain during a ceremony to mark the reopening ofDonMueangairport yesterday.Theairport is resuming operations following a four-month closure forced by last year’s flooding. PATTANAPONGHIRUNARD
The airport closed last October as authorities repaired damage caused by the floods.
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra yesterday declared the airport ready for commercial flights starting today.
Earlier, a senate subcommittee on public health and quality of life asked whether the 100-year-old airport might pose health safety fears if it was reopened too soon.
Senator Pornpan Boonyaratpan yesterday urged the government to postpone its plan to reopen Don Mueang airport until the results of a test for Legionnaires' disease, conducted at the airport, are released on Thursday.
She said the air-borne disease could cause pneumonia and inflammation of the respiratory system among people who contract it. "The results from the lab aren't yet out. In the meantime, the reopening of Don Mueang airport should be postponed, and the people who work in buildings there should not enter them as a safety precaution," she said.
Dr Pornpan said she was concerned about possible health risks at the airport because it had been flooded for months.
Anirut Thanomkulbutra, president of Airports of Thailand Plc (AoT) said the Department of Civil Aviation had certified that Don Mueang is now safe and fit to reopen.
He said the airport has undergone sanitisation procedures in accordance with international standards and several health authorities such as the Department of Public Health, Mahidol University and City Hall have certified the airport is free of health risks.
Ms Yingluck yesterday presided over a ceremony to show off the readiness of Don Mueang. AoT spent more than 1 billion baht to rehabilitate the old airport.
Budget airline Nok Air will be the main carrier operating through Don Mueang, with two small commuter airlines _ Solar Air and Nok Mini _ offering a few daily domestic services.
Nok Air CEO Patee Sarasin said all services, comprising 80 flights a day, will start from Don Mueang this morning.
The airline will also introduce complementary services for its passengers, such as a shuttle service inside the terminal for passengers with special needs.