Suvarnabhumi taxiway under repair after Emirates jet gets stuck

Airport officials cite impact of recent flooding for second such incident in less than a week

Suvarnabhumi airport is expediting repairs to a taxiway after an Emirates Airbus A380 became immobilised on Monday night. The incident happened less than a week after the landing gear of a China Airlines plane got stuck on a runway at Thailand’s largest airport.

Airport officials said on Tuesday that Emirates flight EK373, bound for Dubai and operated by an Airbus A380, was unable to continue taxiing while on Taxiway E21 at 9.11pm on Monday.

The airport quickly contacted the ground-handling operator Bangkok Flight Services to dispatch an aircraft towing vehicle. The aircraft was successfully removed from the area at 10.18pm and subsequently departed at 10.22pm.

An inspection found that a section of Taxiway E21 had sustained surface damage. Airport officials attributed the problem to prolonged periods of heavy rainfall and flooding in areas surrounding the airport, which had increased water accumulation beneath the soil layers.

The excess moisture is believed to have weakened parts of the taxiway pavement, which subsequently deteriorated under the weight of the superjumbo aircraft.

Emirates A380 aircraft seat between 484 and 615 passengers, depending on the specific cabin configuration.

Suvarnabhumi officials said they have since launched a comprehensive assessment of the structural integrity of Taxiway E21 and adjacent areas. Emergency repair work is scheduled from 7pm on Tuesday until 8am on Friday.

The timeframe includes both the repair process and the period required for the rehabilitated pavement to gain sufficient strength before being returned to service, according to the airport’s statement.

To minimise operational impacts, Suvarnabhumi Airport is preparing to bring into service a newly completed extension of Taxiway D located near the affected area. The site is currently undergoing inspection by the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand and is expected to provide an additional route for aircraft accessing runway 02R-20L.

No impact on flights

During the closure of the affected taxiway section, the airport will work with Aeronautical Radio of Thailand (Aerothai) and air traffic control authorities to manage aircraft movements using the airport’s two remaining runways.

Aerothai has confirmed that the available runways have sufficient capacity to accommodate flight operations, and no significant disruption to overall airport services is anticipated.

Suvarnabhumi airport stressed that it would continue to inspect and strengthen affected airside infrastructure while carrying out a long-term maintenance programme aimed at ensuring safe, efficient and uninterrupted operations, as well as maintaining confidence of airlines and passengers.

The incident involving the Emirates plane came just days after a similar  

On Oct 28, the landing gear of a China Airlines Boeing 737-800 got stuck in a damaged section of Runway 02R as it was preparing to take off for Kaohsiung in Taiwan.

The plane was evacuated and moved before the damaged runway section received a temporary repair.

(Photo: Suvarnabhumi Airport)