A pilot for Thai Airways International has given his perspective of the severity of the PM2.5 dust and smoke problem in Chiang Mai province.
In his “Captain Faisal” Facebook post on Saturday, the pilot wrote that he landed his aircraft at Chiang Mai airport at about 9am and, as soon as the door of the plane was opened, the first thing that struck his nostrils was the smell of smoke.
He wrote that visibility was reduced to about two kilometres, he only saw the runway at a height of 200 feet and the Doi Suthep mountain was totally shrouded in smoke.
In a second post, in response to several questions about how the smoke will affect flights approaching Chiang Mai airport, Captain Faisal responded by writing that thick smoke reduces visibility and pilots who were not trained in handling such a situation will not be able to land, even though the airport is equipped with a system to guide the pilots in the landing.
“This means that pilots will have to find an alternative airport, which is not Chiang Rai where the smoke problem is as bad as it is in Chiang Mai,” wrote the captain.
He also wrote that the smoke may last the whole day, even if there are strong winds, because the sources of the smoke are not being tackled. Smoke is different from mist, which will burn off when the weather warms up.
A commercial aircraft is equipped with an air filtration system, called HEPA, which can prevent PM2.5 from seeping into the aircraft but, when disembarking, passengers will have to deal with PM2.5 measured at 112µg/m³, wrote Captain Faisal, as he advised those who have to work outdoors to wear face masks.
