Cargo delays likely until early next year
Shippers will experience difficulty with cargo consignments at the newly opened Suvarnabhumi Airport until early next year.
Since the airport's opening on September 28, a large volume of cargo has been stuck at the airport's duty-free cargo zone, because of computer-system malfunctions. Supachai Keowsiri, IT Division director at Thai Airport Ground Services (Tags), said many agencies and private companies had not been ready to link their computers to the airport's newly developed Air Cargo Communities System (ACCS). However, the airport has tried to fix the problem by using both the existing Electronic Data System and the new ACCS in parallel. Airports of Thailand (AOT), operator of the new airport, has hired wholly owned subsidiary Tags to manage the ACCS and link all IT data in the airport's duty-free cargo zone, with an investment of Bt700 million. Tags, along with three allies - AMR Asia, Hexaware Technologies, and International Research Corp - joined in development of the ACCS, which was tested and handed over to AOT in June. Tags will be the operator of the system over the next two years. Supachai said Tags has conducted training for all participants, as outlined in the contract. "I believe all participants should be ready to use the system in early 2007." Watcharapong Thongrung The Nation
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