Indian flights diverted from Bangkok due to protests

NEW DELHI: Four flights of Indian carriers to Bangkok were diverted Wednesday as Thai anti-government protestors stormed the Suvarnabhumi International Airport.

Two Air India flights to Bangkok, one from Delhi (IC-853) and another from Mumbai (IC-693), were diverted and landed at Utapao airport, about 90 nautical miles off Bangkok.

An Air India spokesperson said the passengers were then transferred by road to Bangkok.

Jet Airways flights from the two cities to Bangkok, 9W-064 and 9W-062, were, however, diverted back to Kolkata, from where they returned to their originating points of Delhi and Mumbai, an airline spokesperson said.

Outbound flights at the Bangkok airport were also affected since last night as hundreds of demonstrators -- some masked and armed with metal rods -- broke through police lines and spilled into the passenger terminal, reports said.
 

Using trucks and cars, anti-government demonstrators cut off highway access to the airport, the transportation hub for millions of tourists who visit the country each year, the
reports added.