Thai Airways cuts flights, battles baggage chaos as Bangkok floods ease - CNA
Several Thai Airways flights to and from Bangkok on Tuesday and Wednesday were cancelled, including two flights between Bangkok and Singapore.
Baggage from Thai Airways flights at Suvarnabhumi International Airport, after heavy rain and flooding disrupted the airline's ground operations, in Bangkok, Thailand, on Sep 29, 2026. (Photo: Reuters/Athit Perawongmetha)
BANGKOK: Thailand's flag carrier Thai Airways struggled to resume regular services on Tuesday (Sep 29) following heavy rain, though the government said floodwater in the capital Bangkok was expected to recede within three days if no more rain fell.
Thai Airways plans to cut about 30 flights, about 30 per cent of its planned departures from Bangkok, on Tuesday, the airline's chief executive Chai Eamsiri told reporters.
The reduction in Thai Airways flights from Bangkok will last for at least three days, he said.
"Almost 100 per cent of flights over the past two days were delayed, with fewer than 3 per cent on schedule as operational capacity could not be sustained," he said.
CNA Games Guess Word Crack the word, one row at a time Buzzword Create words using the given letters Mini Sudoku Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser Mini Crossword Small grid, big challenge Word Search Spot as many words as you can Show More Show Less In a Facebook post on Tuesday morning, Thai Airways announced several flight cancellations to and from Bangkok on Tuesday and Wednesday.
They include TG407 from Bangkok to Singapore and TG408 from Singapore to Bangkok.
Other affected routes include New Delhi, Kuala Lumpur, Frankfurt, Munich and Brussels.
Bangkok was hit by around 320mm of rain over two to three days last week, nearly as much as the sprawling low-lying city usually gets in the whole of September.
Although Bangkok's main airports kept running through the weekend rain and flooding, some baggage handling operations at Suvarnabhumi Airport were severely impacted, with 69 Thai Air Force personnel called in on Monday to support ground operations of flag carrier Thai Airways.
Around 5,600 bags from Thai Airways flights remain stranded at the airport, but these would be cleared within 72 hours, according to Chai.
Thailand's cabinet will discuss long-term plans to address flooding and recovery measures on Tuesday, government spokesperson Ekkapob Pianpises told a news briefing.
Some 1,267 businesses across 40 provinces have been affected by flooding, including 52 factories and 1,162 small and medium enterprises, according to Thailand's Industry Minister Varawut Silpa-archa.
Nationwide, economic damage caused by the flooding was estimated at over US$320 million.
An automated curation of our top stories to start your day.
