Transport Minister Phiphat has ordered urgent repairs for repeated subsidence on the Suvarnabhumi Airport runway after an Emirates A380 encountered a risk point near the previous site. The central runway will close for 13 hours to repair a 33-centimeter deep section. A long-term plan is also being developed. Meanwhile, the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) will inspect the site and plans to discuss further measures next week.,
Mr. Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport, revealed that the runway and taxiway surface at Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) subsided again near runway 02R threshold, close to last week’s incident. Reports indicated that a large Airbus A380 from Emirates faced issues while taxiing through the area, causing a delay of over an hour before the flight continued normally. Other flights had to use adjacent taxiways to avoid the affected zone.
The Airbus A380 is the world’s largest commercial passenger plane, with an empty weight of about 276 tons and a maximum takeoff weight between 510 and 575 tons depending on model and configuration. Given this, the repeated subsidence at a spot used by such large aircraft requires urgent thorough inspection of the runway and taxiway structural integrity to ensure flight safety.
For maximum safety, Airports of Thailand Public Company Limited (AOT) has scheduled urgent maintenance on the runway and taxiway surfaces as follows:
The central runway 02R/20L will be closed from 3 Nov 2026 at 19:00 until 4 Nov 2026 at 08:00, totaling 13 hours, to repair a 15 by 100 meter area by excavating 33 centimeters deep.
Taxiway E21 will be closed to repair a 10 by 45 meter section, also 33 centimeters deep, for 48 continuous hours until 6 Nov 2026 at 08:00, allowing the surface to set and harden sufficiently.
Taxiway E19 will be temporarily closed for further strength inspections before reopening as a substitute route during the E21 closure.
Despite the central runway closure, Suvarnabhumi Airport will continue operations on two other runways. Aircraft can taxi through the central runway area via taxiways E3 and E17 to access the western runway 02L/20R as designated.
Suvarnabhumi Airport has coordinated with relevant agencies in advance to plan the runway closure without impacting flight services, especially air traffic management. Representatives from Aeronautical Radio of Thailand Ltd. (AEROTHAI) confirmed that the remaining two runways can support and manage air traffic during the 02R/20L closure without service disruption.
From 4 Nov 2026 at 08:00 until 6 Nov 2026 at 08:00, the taxiway E21 will remain closed to allow the repaired runway and taxiway surfaces to fully cure and gain sufficient strength before reopening.
The central runway 02R/20L will reopen for normal service from 4 Nov 2026 at 08:00. Meanwhile, aircraft can use nearby taxiway E19 as an alternate route during the E21 closure.
Mr. Phiphat added that the solution is not limited to repairing the current damage. AOT and Suvarnabhumi Airport are preparing a long-term plan for systematic maintenance and strength inspections of runways and taxiways to prevent recurrence and ensure safety for all aircraft types.
Currently, AOT and Suvarnabhumi Airport have short-, medium-, and long-term solutions in place. This week, the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) officials will conduct onsite inspections with the airport to collect technical data and detailed information about the runway and taxiway surface conditions and clarify causes of the subsidence.
The collected data will inform discussions at next week’s meeting to consider comprehensive corrective actions and preventive measures, including immediate repairs, structural strength assessments, and long-term maintenance planning to ensure Suvarnabhumi Airport operates safely and efficiently without affecting flights.
Read more news " State Policy " here.