Courts Rejects Plea by Noise-weary Thais to Ban Night Time Flights

A Thai court on Friday rejected a petition from residents living near Bangkok's new Suvarnabhumi Airport to seek a ban on night time flights to ease noise pollution.

The court dismissed the request from 359 people who demanded the year-old airport be shut from 10:00 pm to 5:00 am.

It said the seven-hour ban on night flights would affect 100,000 passengers and nearly 170 flights on average per day, arguing it would go against the kingdom's commitment to becoming a major aviation hub.

"It will affect Thailand's global aviation commitment, and could trigger retaliation" from airliners and travellers, the court ruling said.

Residents near the airport have demanded state compensation to help pay for the soundproofing of their homes or eventual relocation to other areas, but talks with Thailand's airport operator have made little progress.

With capacity to handle 45 million passengers a year, Suvarnabhumi opened in September 2006 with Thailand hoping it would establish Bangkok as Southeast Asia's pre-eminent air hub.

But the three-billion-dollar facility has been plagued by problems ranging from cracks in the runways to complaints about safety and sanitation.

Source-AFP
SRM/V