BANGKOK: Airports of Thailand (AOT) has coordinated talks with government agencies, cargo operators and freight forwarders to clear a persistent backlog at Thai Airways’ warehouse at Suvarnabhumi Airport, where difficulties locating and processing shipments are delaying their release.
The congestion continues during the high season despite the easing of flooding and the resolution of Thai Airways’ earlier baggage backlogs, flight delays and cancellations, Thansettakij reported on Thursday (Nov 5).
The report cited accounts circulating among airlines of more than 1,000 cargo lots awaiting release and a growing backlog of around 700–800 pallets waiting to be unpacked. Some shipments remained inaccessible long after their flights had arrived, contributing to congestion outside the warehouse in the airport’s free zone.
The discussions involved AOT’s Suvarnabhumi Airport team, Thai Airways’ cargo division, Bangkok Flight Services’ cargo operation, the Customs Department, transport associations and the Thai National Shippers’ Council.
Missing locations delay cargo collection
The Thai Airfreight Forwarders Association (TAFA) reported that congestion remained severe despite some progress in releasing shipments.
A central problem was the absence of recorded storage locations, which left staff unable to find goods. Large quantities of cargo also remained on unit load devices — the containers and pallets used to carry air freight — awaiting unpacking, a process known as breakdown.
According to TAFA, the AOT Cargo Clearhouse system, developed by AOT and Thai Airways, was failing to display shipment status and storage locations as intended.
This prevented freight forwarders and customs brokers from completing payment and release procedures for all their consignments, leaving substantial quantities of goods in the warehouse.
Thai Airways adds staff and location tracking
Thai Airways outlined measures including additional personnel and equipment from Nov 1, the installation of 100 more Wi-Fi access points across the warehouse, and an application to scan and record cargo locations in real time.
The airline is giving priority to finding and clearing shipments that arrived before Oct 23 while continuing to handle new arrivals.
Bangkok Flight Services, meanwhile, has introduced a dashboard for its FEMS truck-queue system at the warehouse frontage. The display shows truck waiting status, with automatic alerts when a vehicle has been waiting for more than two hours.
Freight forwarders press for four measures
TAFA called on Thai Airways’ cargo division to issue a formal explanation and apology. Freight forwarders and customs brokers could then use the statement to explain the delays to smaller customers and factories and ease pressure on their businesses.
The association also requested changes to the handling of the “F2” status, which identifies cargo awaiting breakdown.
Once goods have been unpacked, their actual storage locations should be entered clearly in AOT Cargo Clearhouse. Accurate updates would help importers, exporters and freight forwarders avoid the time and expense of sending trucks to collect shipments that are still unavailable.
TAFA proposed a command centre or central communication channel for inbound cargo, allowing Thai Airways and freight agents to coordinate, track shipments and resolve problems quickly.
Its fourth proposal was to restrict acceptance of selected non-urgent imports if an embargo became necessary. The association argued that a blanket suspension would cause serious economic damage. Factory raw materials, perishables and express shipments should continue to be accepted normally.
TAFA pledged to represent freight forwarders and other businesses by presenting conditions on the ground and pressing for urgent operational measures and policy changes to clear the backlog and restore normal warehouse services. - The Nation/ANN
[Source: Thansettakij]
