PHUKET Airport baggage handlers abandoned their protest and returned to work at 10am Saturday after being told that the man at the centre of the dispute had been sacked.


PHUKET: Almost all international and domestic flights are facing delays at Phuket International Airport today because of a strike by baggage handlers and cleaners contracted to Thai Airways and associated airlines.

All incoming and outgoing flights except those by Bangkok Airways and Nok Air have been affected and will continue to be affected, staff at Phuket airport told Phuketwan today.

Just three managers at a subcontractors are unloading and loading all baggage, according to reliable sources.

Airports of Thailand Director Monruedee Ketpan said, however, that departures and arrivals are occurring ''as normal.''

Trouble began at 7am when about 400 baggage handlers and cleaners walked off the job at the airport. The workers are staff at Pan Thai Air.

The subcontractor handles luggage uploading and downloading and cleaning for Thai Airways, Silk Air, Nordwind, MAS and most airlines that use Phuket International Airport.

It's understood inbound flights are arriving on time but baggage unloading is taking up to two hours longer than normal.

Loading delays are also affecting scheduled takeoffs.

According to one source at Phuket airport, the strikers walked off because they have taken exception to a human relations manager at Pan Thai Air.

Phuket International Airport handles more than 100 takeoffs and landings and deals with about 30,000 passengers in a normal day. There's no indication as yet when the strike might end.