Suvarnabhumi, Bangkok's New Airport - News

[wowpow]

Industry hopes for smooth opening Don Muang airport decision welcomed

BOONSONG KOSITCHOTETHANA Bangkok Post
Although airlines remain sceptical about whether Suvarnabhumi airport will be ready for commercial use on Sept 28, they have welcomed the government's decision to close Don Muang airport. Airlines and industry groups contacted by the Bangkok Post were not convinced that the new airport would open when scheduled and warned that rushing operations could result in costs and embarrassment for the country.

At a briefing on the airport's progress on Monday, caretaker prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra announced that the airport would open for commercial services on Sept 28. Mr Thaksin also decided to revert to the original single-airport policy, which was not to retain Don Muang for scheduled domestic and low-cost carrier flights.

''It does not look like it will be ready and I am absolutely certain it cannot be opened on that date,'' said an aviation executive who has been closely monitoring the 125-billion-baht airport development. The runways and terminal may be able to accommodate flights by Sept 28, but the airlines are unlikely to be ready by then, he said. Contrary to what the authorities have suggested, it is not yet clear when airlines would be able to set up their offices at the Suvarnabhumi terminal and some don't even know where they will be located. ''That is just one simple matter, not to mention more much complex technical issues such as the computer and baggage systems, their readiness remains a mystery to us,'' he said. Airlines need at least three months' notice to set up at the terminal.

''What is important is not the opening date, but to have Suvarnabhumi airport begin commercial operations only when it is operationally ready,'' said Albert Tjoeng, the Asia-Pacific spokesman for the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which represents almost all of the world's airlines. ''This means having undergone the required robust and comprehensive testing and trials to ensure that the various systems are working 100% and are seamlessly integrated,'' he said. ''Let's not forget that airports are no longer the bricks and mortar of the old days, today's airports use incredibly complex automated systems. ''The airport will only be open once. We want it to be a safe and successful opening and cost-efficient in order to be a successful hub. No one wants the cost or embarrassment of a troubled opening.''

IATA yesterday welcomed the announcement that all commercial flights would be moved to Suvarnabhumi when it opens _ which it has long advocated. But some budget carriers, especially Thai AirAsia, were not happy with the announcement. They had hoped Don Muang would have offered lower airport services and have greater flexibility than Suvarnabhumi.

''Commercial operations using two airports would have been costly to maintain, and can be complicated for passengers, especially for those making connections,'' said Mr Tjoeng.

''While having all flights at one airport would have a positive effect on Suvarnabhumi's potential as a hub, the more important issue is to ensure operational readiness and cost efficiency when Suvarnabhumi opens to maximise Bangkok's potential as a hub in the region.''

Bangkok Post

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[wowpow]

I don't think that it's time to get too hyped up about the move to the new airport. As it stands right now, NONE of the major international carriers (BA, KLM, NWA, etc) have agreed to fly ANY of their planes into the new airport because of the dangers involved in flying there:

1. The bird population was never moved. Whenever you open a new airport, you need to "move" the bird population in order to avoid bird strikes. This has never been done. Since the new airport is built on a swamp there are (by airline estimations) thousands of birds living within a few metres of the runways.

2. The runways are not safe. The "authorities" who built the runways were paid of top quality tarmac but used in ONLY in front of the terminals. As you go down the runways, they used cheaper quality which is NOT expected to be able to stand up to the weight of planes landing and taking off. You've already seen pictures in the BKK Post of the cracks in the tarmac. These problems have NOT been fixed.

3. The runways are currently sinking back into the swamp. Sad, but true.

4. The Airport Authority of Thailand has refused to allow any of the major international carriers access into the new terminals. It can take up to six months to completely set up an airline's computer system, baggage system, etc and be ready for operation. According to the Caretaker "Prime Minister" the new airport will be opened on 28 September. That's just 3 months from now.

5. Virtually ALL foreign architectual, construction and engineering firms are bailing out as quickly as possible.....BEFORE the place opens up. They're all well aware of the problems and don't want to have their firms' names attached to anything that all of them are considering a "disaster waiting to happen".

6. According to a friend of mine's husband (whose firm is in charge of overseeing construction) "Plane crashes are absolutely inevitible IF this new airport is allowed to open." His firm has allerted the AOT on more occasions than he can count about more problems than he can list and each and every time, absolutely NOTHING has been done about any of his firm's recommendations. As it stands right now, he's closing up shop here and getting the hell out of the country.

Now, I don't like to be a nay-sayer, but my friend's husband has made me promise that, whenever I leave Thailand, I'll take the train to ANYWHERE and then fly from there.

And, please don't think that I'm any kind of authority on airport safety....I'm only reporting what I've heard.

billinbkk on CFS

[wowpow]

THAI offers Bt999 tickets for Suvarnabhumi inaugural

CHIANG MAI, June 23 (TNA) - Thai Airways International (THAI), Thailand's flag carrier, and six other Thai airlines have jointly agreed to fix airfares for inaugural commercial flights from Don Muang Intenational Airport to Suvarnabhumi International Airport on July 29 at 999 baht, a THAI senior official said.

THAI Executive Vice President, Commercial Department, Mr. Vasing Kittikul said on Friday that all income from the ticket sales would be presented to His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadet for his use.

Mr. Vasing said THAI and six other commercial airlines -- Nok Air, Thai Air Asia, Orient Thai, P.B. Air and Bangkok Airways -- had agreed to join the launch of commercial flights for Suvarnabhumi Airport with special flights on July 29.

"Tickets from Bangkok's Don Muang Airport to the new Suvarnabhumi Airport are priced at Bt999," he noted. The flights are considered the inaugulation--before the airport is fully opened, Mr. Vasing said.

The tickets would be on sale from July 1, he said. Moreover, THAI will offer other special flights to mark the Suvarnabhumi Airport's commercially opening with one-way economy class tickets from Chiang Mai in the North and Phuket in the South set at Bt1,999, while the round-trip fare is Bt3,999.

Round-trip business class tickets from Bangkok to Chiang Mai and Bangkok to Phuket are set at Bt2,999 and Bt5,999 respectively.

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinwatra confirmed earilier that the Suvarnabhumi Airport would officially open on September 28. (TNA)

666 baht tickets might be more appropriate.

Im predicting end of 2007 before it opens.

Im predicting end of 2007 before it opens.

That soon?!

[Does anyone know the new codes for the new airport? I'll probably be coming to Pattaya for the first time in 2007 or 2008 and might try to book into the new one from Los Angeles Int. (LAX) rountrip and then a bus to Pattaya?[/b]

It's BKK. Don Muang is closing. The code transfers to the new airport

Anyone expect the departure tax to increase when it opens?

[wowpow]

BANGKOK: -- With the scheduled opening of Bangkok's new Suvarnabhumi International Airport only three months away, complete testing of the new airport facilities will begin Monday (July 3), the airport director said Saturday, to ensure that the national showcase is ready for the launch.

Suvarnabhumi Airport Director Somchai Sawasdipol said tests would be conducted on air-conditioning and lighting systems, passenger check-in counters and the operation of CTX bomb scanners starting Monday and continuing until the airport's opening for commercial use. Low-cost airlines will undertake tests by taking off and landing at the airport on July 29.

The airport is scheduled for commercial opening two months later, on September 28. Regarding expressed concerns that staff who are transferred from the existing Don Muang International Airport and newly recruited personnel may encounter problems on using the state-of-the-art equipment at Suvarnabhumi Airport when it opens, Mr. Somchai said there should be no problem as full training has been given to all officials.

The eight-storey complex, including an underground floor--where there will be electric mass transit facilities--and passenger terminals of the new airport, has a total area of some 563,000 square meters and is located on the northern part of the airport. It can cater to 45 million passengers annually.

--TNA 2006-07-01 via www.thaivisa.com