All flights cancelled at Chiang Rai airport

The entrance of Mae Fah Luang Chiang Rai International Airport in Muang district of Chiang Rai is flooded on Thursday. (Photo supplied)
The entrance of Mae Fah Luang Chiang Rai International Airport in Muang district of Chiang Rai is flooded on Thursday. (Photo supplied)

Airlines serving Mae Fah Luang Chiang Rai International Airport on Thursday cancelled all flights for the rest of the day because of severe flooding in the northern province.

The last flights operating to the main airport in the northern province were AirAsia flight FD 3209 from Don Mueang in Bangkok, arriving at 12.40pm, and FD 3210 from Chiang Rai to Don Mueang, departing at 1.10pm.

The Transport Minister earlier advised the public to avoid the airport as the access road was under water, preventing staff and travellers from reaching the site.

He ordered airport management to enhance flood response measures.

He also asked the Airports of Thailand (AOT) president to visit the airport to provide food, drinking water and arrange for evacuation of passengers and staff as needed.

The airport remains operational but all airlines with regular services — VietJet Air, Lion Air, Thai Airways International and Thai AirAsia — suspended the rest of their flights on Thursday.

Power supply from outside was disconnected but the airport had its own power backup system which was enough to run operations.

Floodwater affected only the entrance of the airport and the houses of its staff but did not reach the passenger terminal, aircraft parking areas, taxiways and runway, AOT said.

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Vocabulary

  • cancel (verb): to decide to stop something that has been arranged from taking place - ยกเลิก
  • disconnect: to separate something from something - ตัดขาดจากกัน, แยกออกจากกัน, แบ่งออก
  • evacuation: moving people from a place of danger to a safer place - การอพยพ
  • measure: a firm action taken to solve a problem or stop a dangerous unpleasant situation - มาตราการ
  • minister: a member of the cabinet, the group of government ministers who make and approve government policy - รัฐมนตรี
  • operational: able to work normally - ที่สามารถใช้งานได้
  • prevent (verb): to stop somebody from doing something; to stop something from happening - ขัดขวาง, ป้องกัน, กัน, กีดขวาง
  • response: a reaction to something that has happened or been said - การตอบสนอง
  • runway (noun): a long narrow strip of ground with a hard surface that an aircraft takes off from and lands on - ทางขึ้นลงของเครื่องบิน
  • severe: very serious and unpleasant - รุนแรง
  • suspend: to stop something for a short time - หยุดชั่วคราว
  • taxiway (noun): the hard path that a plane uses as it moves to and from the runway -
  • terminal: a large building at an airport where passengers arrive and leave - อาคารผู้โดยสาร

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