The lack of any remembrance for the victims of what was one of Thailand’s deadliest air disasters has been a tradition for local officials.
AoT and its staff at Phuket airport have never held any service to remember the victims who died in the crash 18 years ago, on Sept 16, 2007. No service was held soon after the disaster, or even on the first anniversary.
This year, they have spent the past two days (Sept 14-15) staging traditional Thai dance performances in the Departures Hall of the Domestic Passenger Terminal.
The performaces are to “showcase local cultural heritage through the use of Manora and Kridaphinihan dances, which beautifully reflect the cultural diversity and contemporary lifestyle of the local area”, AoT Phuket reported.
The aim is to promote what AoT calls a ‘Memorable Airport Experience’. “Phuket International Airport is committed to elevating service quality beyond expectations (Quality Airport with Service Mind) to deliver a memorable airport experience and continually meet the needs of passengers and service users,” AoT Phuket said in its announcement posted yesterday.
Again not remembered by AoT is that One-Two-Go Flight 269 crashed during an attempted go-around after an aborted landing amid heavy rain and strong crosswinds in near identical conditions to those affecting Phuket in recent days.
The McDonnell Douglas MD-82 with 123 passengers and seven crew members on board was performing a scheduled Bangkok-Phuket flight (OG269).
The plane was scheduled to land at around 3:40pm but on the plane’s approach ground control denied landing and instructed the crew to execute a go-around. The plane crashed into one of the runway embankments and burst into flames.
A total of 89 of the 130 people on board died at the scene, while one survivor succumbed to burn injuries later in the hospital. In all, 40 others survived but received various injuries.
Those on board the flight included nationals of Thailand, UK, France, Australia, Canada and other countries.
Following damning reports over safety regulations, the budget airline One-Two-Go was subsequently shut down by its parent company Orient Thai, which ceased operations on Oct 9, 2018.