The severing of air links with Thailand's capital - a vital air hub that handles 3 percent of world air cargo and 100,000 travelers a day - rippled through the region with airlines scrambling to reroute passengers and freight as hopes for a quick resolution to the crisis faded. Thailand's embattled government Friday backed away from a threat to use force to disperse the protesters who have shut down Bangkok's two commercial airports, setting the scene for a prolonged disruption to transport across the region and a massive blow to the kingdom's economy. Since Tuesday, dozens of airlines have canceled all flights to and from Bangkok until further notice while others made special arrangements to rescue passengers stranded in Thailand by using a tiny airport southeast of the capital. “What's happening in Bangkok is going to be very damaging to our business,” said Tony Tyler, chief executive of Hong Kong-based carrier Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd., which has two Boeing 777s stranded in Bangkok. Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport, the main gateway to Thailand, is one of the world's most “densely connected” airports, serving about 100 airlines with flights to 184 cities in 68 countries, said Andrew Herdman, director general of the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines. “The biggest impact is on Thai Airways. Their hub is shut and crippling their operations,” said Herdman, whose association's 17 member airlines carry 33 percent of global air cargo and 18 percent of passengers. “The ripple effect for other Asian carriers in terms of rerouting passengers and cargo causes a significant knock-on disruption.” On a normal day, about 100,000 passengers pass through Suvarnabhumi. “That's a lot of inconvenience for a lot of people,” he said. Thai International Airways PCL, losing $14 million in revenue a day with its fleet parked on the tarmac, said Friday it would try to operate flights from U-tapao airport, near the resort town of Pattaya, about 190 kilometers (120 miles) southeast of Bangkok. But it was unlikely the tiny airport could handle more than a trickle of extra passengers. U-tapao airport's parking lot has room for just 100 vehicles and its terminal can accommodate only 400 people at once, according to its website. Cathay Pacific has scheduled two flights on Friday and Saturday from U-tapao airport to bring home Hong Kong residents, said spokeswoman Carolyn Leung.
