Aircraft Released by PAD for Tourist Airlift: BBC
Quote:
Empty aircraft fly from Bangkok
Thousands of passengers have been stranded by the protests
About 40 empty planes have flown out of Bangkok's international airport after authorities reached a deal with protesters camped there for seven days.
Thousands of travellers have been stranded since anti-government groups took over two airports last week.
The deal allows a total of 88 planes to be flown out to other Thai airports, where it is hoped they can evacuate some of the blockaded tourists.
The crisis has economically damaged the country since it intensified last week.
Thailand's deputy premier for economic affairs is reported to be meeting senior figures in commerce, industry and tourism today to discuss the damage being done.
As the backlog of stranded foreigners grows with each day, foreign embassies are beside themselves with frustration, says the BBC's Jonathan Head at Bangkok airport.
Foreign airlines
A spokeswoman for Airports of Thailand said: "Thirty-seven aircraft have left Suvarnabhumi (international airport) since the first aircraft of Siam GA (a regional airline) took off on Sunday evening.
"International airlines will have to contact us to take those stranded aircraft out of Suvarnabhumi."
Twelve planes belonging to foreign airlines are stranded at Suvarnabhumi, as well as 29 from Thai Airways, 16 of Thai Airasia, 15 from Bangkok Airways, and 22 aircraft from other airlines.
With thousands of British citizens among the estimated 100,000 travellers, a spokesman for the UK's Foreign Office said: "Bangkok's two main airports remain closed but airlines have been able to arrange flights and transfers to and from alternative airports.
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"Some British nationals have been able to fly out but not in the necessary numbers.
"We have continued our consultations with airlines and Thai authorities...and action is being stepped up to enable people to travel in greater numbers, for example via Chiang Mai."
Chiang Mai, in the north, is 700km (435 milies) by road from Bangkok, while the other option - Phuket, a resort in the south - is 850km (530 miles).
France has said it will send a "special plane" to fly its citizens out of Thailand on Monday, with "those in the most pressing situations...given priority," AFP news agency reported.
Air France-KLM has already said it would fly travellers out of Phuket.
A few airlines have been using an airport at the U-Tapao naval base, about 140km (90 miles) south-east of Bangkok.
On Sunday more than 450 Muslim pilgrims stranded at the international airport were taken by bus to the base where they were to board a plane for the annual Hajj in Saudi Arabia.
Spain and Australia have been arranging special flights to evacuate their citizens.
Thailand's tourist industry is losing an estimated $85m (┬г55.4m) per day, and the government warns that the number of foreign tourists arriving next year may halve, threatening one million jobs.
