Virus Fells Most BKK Luggage Scanners
Jun 21, 2007, 3:46 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 210
Virus Fells Most BKK Luggage Scanners
Looks like check-in for my flight to New York tonight will be fun, fun, fun.
I like the way the report states that no flights were delayed, without noting whether the time it took for passengers to clear security was increased. Or are these scanners only used for checked luggage, thereby having no impact on passangers (unless your bag requires a "more thorough security screening" and is left behind)?
From The Bangkok Post, Thursday, June 21, 2007:
Most of new airport's bag scanners go on the blink
BY AMORNRAT MAHITTHIROOK
Most of the luggage scanners at Suvarnabhumi airport broke down last night, virtually paralysing the conveyor belt system and forcing transport authorities to lug around baggage manually. Deputy Transport Minister Sansern Wongcha-um said he was alerted by an urgent report last night from Kulya Pakakrong, acting president of Airports of Thailand (AoT), that 17 computer tomography X-ray (CTX) machines had broken down at Suvarnabhumi airport about 8pm.
Suvarnabhumi airport is equipped with 26 CTX machines supplied by GE InVision Inc of the United States. Four of them failed to work earlier and still remain inoperable.
Some of the scanners had not been working since Tuesday and by about 8 pm a total of 17 CTX machines had broken down, leaving only five machines in working condition, said Mr Sansern.
Sansern: Problems due to computer virus
The AoT had its staff manually handle passengers' luggage and 120 soldiers were expected to be deployed to the airport today to help move passengers baggage until airport authorities can mend the scanners and conveyors.
Thai officials also informed GE InVision Inc in the United States of the critical problems.
The company's technicians are reportedly on their way to Bangkok today to try and fix the glitches.
Mr Sansern said the troubles were caused by a computer virus that infected the server.
The broken-down scanners meant thousands of items of luggage needed to be X-rayed by a separate bomb detector system located in a special baggage inspection room.
However, despite all of the problems, there were no reports of any delays to outgoing flights by press time late last night.
An airport source said airport staff were doing all they could to ensure that bags were loaded onto the planes in time for their departure.
However, the source said that some bags that may require more thorough security screening might have to be left behind.
Last night's breakdown was just the latest in a long line of problems for the airport's expensive, scandal-plagued CTX scanner system.
I like the way the report states that no flights were delayed, without noting whether the time it took for passengers to clear security was increased. Or are these scanners only used for checked luggage, thereby having no impact on passangers (unless your bag requires a "more thorough security screening" and is left behind)?
From The Bangkok Post, Thursday, June 21, 2007:
Most of new airport's bag scanners go on the blink
BY AMORNRAT MAHITTHIROOK
Most of the luggage scanners at Suvarnabhumi airport broke down last night, virtually paralysing the conveyor belt system and forcing transport authorities to lug around baggage manually. Deputy Transport Minister Sansern Wongcha-um said he was alerted by an urgent report last night from Kulya Pakakrong, acting president of Airports of Thailand (AoT), that 17 computer tomography X-ray (CTX) machines had broken down at Suvarnabhumi airport about 8pm.
Suvarnabhumi airport is equipped with 26 CTX machines supplied by GE InVision Inc of the United States. Four of them failed to work earlier and still remain inoperable.
Some of the scanners had not been working since Tuesday and by about 8 pm a total of 17 CTX machines had broken down, leaving only five machines in working condition, said Mr Sansern.
Sansern: Problems due to computer virus
The AoT had its staff manually handle passengers' luggage and 120 soldiers were expected to be deployed to the airport today to help move passengers baggage until airport authorities can mend the scanners and conveyors.
Thai officials also informed GE InVision Inc in the United States of the critical problems.
The company's technicians are reportedly on their way to Bangkok today to try and fix the glitches.
Mr Sansern said the troubles were caused by a computer virus that infected the server.
The broken-down scanners meant thousands of items of luggage needed to be X-rayed by a separate bomb detector system located in a special baggage inspection room.
However, despite all of the problems, there were no reports of any delays to outgoing flights by press time late last night.
An airport source said airport staff were doing all they could to ensure that bags were loaded onto the planes in time for their departure.
However, the source said that some bags that may require more thorough security screening might have to be left behind.
Last night's breakdown was just the latest in a long line of problems for the airport's expensive, scandal-plagued CTX scanner system.
