Thai low-cost plane, Nok Air, delays departure, no casualties

LAMPANG, THAILAND, February 6 (TNA) - A domestic flight of Thailand's low-cost Nok Air delayed its departure from the northern Lampang Province to Bangkok on Friday, after the airline's staff discovered a fault at the plane's rear exit door, but there were no casualties. Nok Air ground personnel made announcements at 11:35am (Thailand's time) for all 80 passengers aboard the DD8505 Flight to step off the plane as a safety precaution, reasoning that the aircraft's rear exit door could not be closed properly due to its faulty lock. The pilot then decided to report the incident to Lampang's aviation control tower, while passengers were informed to either wait some hours for the next flight to fly from Lampang to Bangkok or travel to nearby Chiang Mai Airport by vans, provided by Lampang Airport, to catch a flight to the capital. Meanwhile, Lampang Airport Director Ruangyuth Nittayanont confirmed that the incident only caused a delayed departure for passengers without any other serious impact and Nok Air has handled the situation with proper steps and regulations by prioritising passengers' safety. According to the Lampang Airport director, the plane can serve passengers as usual after the slight problem at its rear exit door is fixed, expected by February 6. Nok Air is a budget airline, which is a subsidiary of Thai Airways International (THAI), the national flag carrier. (TNA)