Qantas resumes normal flights on Dec 6

 The Executive General Manager of Qantas, Mr John Borghetti, said Qantas had received approval from Thai authorities to resume flights and was also undertaking its own operational assessments of Suvarnabhumi Airport.

 "Following the closure of Suvarnabhumi on 25 November, Qantas has been operating its scheduled Sydney-Bangkok-London return services via Singapore," Mr Borghetti said.

 "In consultation with the Australian Government, our priority this week has been to provide opportunities for Qantas and British Airways customers and Australian nationals to leave Thailand.

 "We have operated three relief flights between Phuket and Singapore since Tuesday, and a fourth and final flight will operate tonight. In total Qantas would have carried around 1,200 people out of Thailand.

 "As soon as it was announced that Suvarnabhumi would be re-opened, and following our own operational assessment of the airport we began the necessary planning to resume services."

 The first Qantas flight, QF2 London-Bangkok-Sydney, is scheduled to return to Bangkok early evening on Saturday. It will be followed soon after by QF1 operating northbound from Sydney.