BANGKOK — A Suvarnabhumi pavement failure stranded an Emirates Airbus A380 on the night of Nov. 2, the second time in about a week that a jet got stuck at the airport. No injuries were reported.
The airport blamed long, heavy rain and flooding that raised the water under the pavement, according to its statement reported by Bangkok Post. Airports of Thailand, known as AOT, then shut the center runway overnight and a taxiway for days of repairs.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand, or CAAT, had already demanded an explanation from AOT. That followed an Oct. 28 incident involving a China Airlines Boeing 737-800.
How the Emirates A380 got stuck on Taxiway E21
Emirates flight EK373, bound for Dubai, could not keep taxiing on Taxiway E21 at 9:11 p.m. Monday, according to the airport’s statement. The airport then called Bangkok Flight Services for a tow.
The jet was clear at 10:18 p.m. and left at 10:22 p.m., Bangkok Post reported.
An inspection found surface damage on part of E21. The airport said heavy rain and flooding around the site had added water under the soil layers. It believes the moisture weakened the pavement under the A380’s weight.
The airport also planned a full structural check of E21 and the areas next to it.
CAAT had already asked AOT for answers
The earlier incident came on Oct. 28. A China Airlines Boeing 737-800 was preparing to take off for Kaohsiung when its landing gear got stuck in a damaged section near the Runway 02R threshold, Bangkok Post and Thai PBS World reported.
Thai PBS World identified the flight as CI840. The plane was evacuated and moved, and the damaged section got a temporary repair.
CAAT Director Air Chief Marshal Manat Chavanaprayoon then sent AOT a letter, Thai PBS World reported. The letter asked for an explanation and a report on prevention measures.
Manat also suggested that AOT use technology to test the strength of the runway surface, taxiways and aprons. The goal would be to find risk areas before aircraft weight causes damage.
AOT President Paweena Jariyathitipong said the airport has been operating for about 20 years and handles about 700,000 flights a year. Paweena said engineering checks found runway layers on soft soil with high water.
Heavy rain and groundwater close to the surface layers were affecting the runway, Paweena said. AOT planned phased night work for about 10 days, from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. The incident also led AOT to review its performance and add inspections.
Suvarnabhumi pavement failure brings closures and FOD risk
After the Emirates incident, center Runway 02R/20L was to close from 7 p.m. Nov. 3 to 8 a.m. Nov. 4, a span of 13 hours. Thai Rath reported the plan, citing Transport Minister Phiphat and AOT. Crews were to repair a 15-by-100-meter area and dig 33 centimeters deep.
Thai Rath reported the same depth for a 10-by-45-meter section of E21. That taxiway was to stay shut until 8 a.m. Nov. 6 for repair and curing. The airport’s statement gave the same end time.
Thai Rath said Taxiway E19 would also close for a time for strength checks. Meanwhile, the airport said it was preparing a newly finished Taxiway D extension, under CAAT inspection, as another route to the runway.
Aerothai said the other two runways have enough capacity, and it expected no major disruption. CAAT planned on-site inspections this week, with more steps to be discussed next week, Thai Rath reported.
The failures matter beyond the delays. Broken surface chunks are a classic source of foreign object debris, or FOD, on runways and taxiways. When pavement fails under a heavy aircraft, loose chunks and weak edges can become hazards for the next movement.
Other recent runway closures include a Thai F-5 tire blowout that shut a runway at Ubon and a runway crack closure at Komatsu Airport.
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Sources
- Bangkok Post — “Suvarnabhumi taxiway under repair after Emirates jet gets stuck” (Nov. 3, 2026)
- Bangkok Post — “Suvarnabhumi runway subsidence probed after plane gets stuck” (Oct. 2026)
- Thai PBS World — “CAAT demands explanation from AOT over runway incident at Suvarnabhumi airport”
- The Thaiger — “Suvarnabhumi Airport closes runway after Emirates A380 stranded” (Nov. 2026)
- Thai Rath — “Urgent Repairs Ordered for Repeated Subsidence at Suvarnabhumi Airport Runway” (Nov. 3, 2026)
