Airline baggage backlog almost cleared

Thai Airways International (THAI) announced on Monday it had reduced the backlog on delivery of passengers' luggage from flights through Suvanabhumi airport to 862 bags.

It said 150 bags were for outbound flights and 712 from inbound flights.

The numbers have reduced markedly from the peak of 7,175 bags of passengers booked on  outgoing and connecting flights, and 5,423 bags from inbound flights.

On Monday, passengers contacted the airline about retrieving 300 bags, which meant airline staff had to clear 412 bags still at the airport, the airline management said.

On Monday 1,348 employees reported for duty, more than the 1,278 staff it had expected.

The airline said scheduled flights were 100% operational. THAI had 122 inbound flights and 123 outbound scheduled at Suvarnabhumi on Monday.

No delayed cargoes remained in its warehouse at the airport on Monday.

The huge baggage backlog and associated flight delays afflicted passengers on THAI  flights  over the past week, when severe floods hit eastern districts of Bangkok. A large number of  employees were stranded, unable to reach Suvarnabhumi airport. The airline has the airport ground operations contract, and many of the absent staff worked as baggage handlers.

The chaos led to the board sacking the THAI president, Chai Eamsiri.