PHUKET, 11 April 2012 (NNT) – Phuket International Airport will be open to normal air traffic on April 12 after a temporary closure imposed as a result of a powerful earthquake in Indonesia.

Mr Prathuang Sornkham, Director of the airport said the closure was prompted by the National Disaster Warning Center announcement asking people in six Andaman provinces to move to higher ground in anticipation of a tsunami.

In compliance with the announcement, the airport has been closed temporarily since 4 p.m. on 11 April, and will resume normal service on 12 April at 8.00 a.m.

The airport has already evacuated about 1,000 passengers waiting for their evening flights today to a safe site designated by the evacuation plan, near the airport’s traffic control tower. Some of the passengers have been later moved to Phuket’s downtown while the rest are still waiting to be transported to the city tonight due to insufficient number of buses.

Read more: NNT