( dpa ) - Nearly one-third of the light bulbs on the runways and taxiways at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport are dysfunctional and haven't been replaced because of procurement problems, a news report said Monday.
Airports of Thailand (AoT) President Chana U-sathaporn has sought government approval to speed up the purchase of 2,000 new light bulbs by next month to assure the airport meets safety standards, said the Bangkok Post.
International standards require that dysfunctional light bulbs should not exceed 10 per cent of the total. There are 7,600 light bulbs on Suvarnabhumi's runways and taxiways, noted the newspaper.
"We have to quickly solve the problem," said Civil Aviation Department chief Chaisak Ansuwan. "The more delay, the more damage it may cause."
Suvarnabhumi Airport was opened for flights in September 2006. The 3 to 4 billion dollar project has run into numerous start-up problems, forcing aviation authorities to reopen Bangkok's old Don Muang Airport to handle domestic air traffic.