KRABI — Aviation authorities promised Tuesday to look into a near collision between two planes on the runway in Krabi province.
According to the Aeronautical Radio of Thailand, an airplane flown by AirAsia was about to land at Krabi airport last night, when it was abruptly told to abort because a Thai Airways plane was blocking the runway.
Although Krabi airport director Attaporn Nuang-udom downplayed the incident by telling reporters it was a “normal” procedure, Aeronautical Radio deputy director Somnuk Rongthong said the close call was “abnormal” and should not have happened.
“I have told the Civil Aviation Authority to investigate the cause of the incident,” said Somnuk, whose agency oversees control towers nationwide. “Two airplanes getting too close is cause enough for an investigation. We won’t wait for them to collide first.”
Somnuk identified the two flights as FD3212 bound for Krabi and TG250 headed for Suvarnabhumi Airport.
He said the Thai Airways plane failed to take off within a slot of five minutes given by the control tower. The plane was still on the runway when the AirAsia jet began descending, forcing pilots in the latter to pull up at the last minute.
Somnuk partly blamed the incident on the airport’s small size, with limited room for planes to maneuver comfortably. He added that the airport director has already requested funds to expand.
The two airlines have yet to make statements on the near collision.
