PHUKET: A hoax bomb call triggered an emergency on the flight carrying Thailand's football team from Bangkok to Phuket today.
As a precaution, officials at the airport delayed a second flight from Phuket to Bangkok by two hours while extra checks were made on passengers.
According to officials at Phuket International Airport, the telephone number from which the bomb alert call was made has been passed to Phuket police and the caller is likely to face the full force of the law.
The call that there was a bomb on board AirAsia flight FD3003 from Don Muang in Bangkok was made to Phuket airport at 12.10pm with the flight due to land at 12.15pm.
Authorities at the airport initiated emergency procedures, parking the aircraft in an isolated part of the airport and unloading the 167 passengers as speedily as possible, the facility's deputy director, Kanputt Mungklasisi, told Phuketwan this afternoon.
''We took the passengers into the terminal then unloaded the baggage,'' he said. ''Each passenger collected their baggage, with authorities looking on.''
Among the passengers were Thailand's football team, who arrived on Phuket to play warmup matches from this weekend against Burma, Phuket FC and Qatar in preparation for the Asian Games in South Korea.
As a precaution, the return flight of the Airbus A330-200 from Phuket to Don Muang was delayed from 12.50pm to 3.08pm.
After the plane had been loaded with baggage, airport authorities had it unloaded and organised for the 168 passengers to each nominate their luggage.
Four pieces were left over. Later, the owners responded to calls over the airport's loudspeaker system.
Khun Kanputt said that everything was carried out to emergency planning.
''Ironically, we are holding training for emergency conditions at the airport today, tomorrow and on Thursday. But today's alert was not part of a training exercise.''
Airports of Thailand Director Mekin Peachplay was heading from Bangkok to Phuket today to head an investigation into the hoax call.
The Thailand team plays Burma on August 31, Phuket FC on September 3 and Qatar on September 7, all at Phuket City's Surakul Stadium beginning at 6.30pm.
As a precaution, officials at the airport delayed a second flight from Phuket to Bangkok by two hours while extra checks were made on passengers.
According to officials at Phuket International Airport, the telephone number from which the bomb alert call was made has been passed to Phuket police and the caller is likely to face the full force of the law.
The call that there was a bomb on board AirAsia flight FD3003 from Don Muang in Bangkok was made to Phuket airport at 12.10pm with the flight due to land at 12.15pm.
Authorities at the airport initiated emergency procedures, parking the aircraft in an isolated part of the airport and unloading the 167 passengers as speedily as possible, the facility's deputy director, Kanputt Mungklasisi, told Phuketwan this afternoon.
''We took the passengers into the terminal then unloaded the baggage,'' he said. ''Each passenger collected their baggage, with authorities looking on.''
Among the passengers were Thailand's football team, who arrived on Phuket to play warmup matches from this weekend against Burma, Phuket FC and Qatar in preparation for the Asian Games in South Korea.
As a precaution, the return flight of the Airbus A330-200 from Phuket to Don Muang was delayed from 12.50pm to 3.08pm.
After the plane had been loaded with baggage, airport authorities had it unloaded and organised for the 168 passengers to each nominate their luggage.
Four pieces were left over. Later, the owners responded to calls over the airport's loudspeaker system.
Khun Kanputt said that everything was carried out to emergency planning.
''Ironically, we are holding training for emergency conditions at the airport today, tomorrow and on Thursday. But today's alert was not part of a training exercise.''
Airports of Thailand Director Mekin Peachplay was heading from Bangkok to Phuket today to head an investigation into the hoax call.
The Thailand team plays Burma on August 31, Phuket FC on September 3 and Qatar on September 7, all at Phuket City's Surakul Stadium beginning at 6.30pm.
It appears to have been a very quick & positive response by the airport authorities. Well done.
Now if they can find the perpetrator, he should face a very hefty sentence, as this sort of crime is despicable in an age when terrorism is rife.
Posted by Logic on August 27, 2014 08:45