Cargo problems at new Bangkok airport
The brand-new state-of-the-art Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok, replacing the old and congested Don Muang International Airport, just opened barely 2 weeks ago after numerous delays.
From day one they have experienced problems with their automated baggage handling system, but it seems the biggest problems are appearing in cargo:
The customs-free zone at the new airport has been a scene of chaos since the 125 billion baht airport formally opened last month, with shippers reporting lengthy paperwork delays, missing shipments and communication problems.
Customs officials said the problems stemmed from failures in the Air Cargo Communication System (ACCS), set up by Airports of Thailand to manage shipments moving through the airport. ACCS has proved a complete failure to date, said Suriya Sukanand, director of the Suvarnabhumi office of the Customs Department.
Officials also blame the disarray on the inexperience of cargo handling newcomer Bangkok Flight Services (BFS), a 50:50 joint venture between French-owned Worldwide Flight Services and Bangkok Airways. Some shippers are reportedly planning to take legal action against BFS for the delays. BFS and Thai Airways International are the main cargo handlers at the airport.
What to do? Just go back to using the EDI system everyone used at the old airport:
But this also led to problems, as BFS encountered difficulties in linking up with the EDI system, resulting in lost cargo, delayed deliveries and improper accounting, Mr Suriya said.
Ok, fine, then lets all just do things the old-fashioned way with manual clearances:
Customs officials then decided to use manual processing to get around the difficulties in the computer networks, but BFS staff had trouble handling the system.
“BFS staff have also had difficulties in keying in invoice data for transmission to the Customs Department, resulting in further delays for exporters and importers,” Mr Suriya said.Responding to the allegations, Prasert Prasarttong-Osoth, the founder and chief executive of Bangkok Airways, acknowledged that problems had occurred due to inexperienced staff.
BFS staff had been trained to operate using the ACCS system, not manual processing, he said.
Ok that didn’t work either, now what do we do?
Sources said the troubles encountered at BFS had led many shippers to switch to Thai Airways services instead, resulting in further logjams at the airport.
Not good. I’d like to hear from the industry in Thailand or those who export to Thailand on what kinds of delays or problems you have experienced with cargo at the new airport.
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