Bangkok test drives new airport

[Stephen Toernblom]

Thursday, September 14, 2006

Bangkok test drives new airport
The Associated Press


BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) -- Bangkok's brand new international airport opened Friday for a handful of domestic and international flights, a soft-launch for Thailand's flashy new hub that comes two weeks ahead of its grand opening.

Full commercial services are expected to start on September 28 at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi international airport, which will take over most of the traffic from the aging and overcrowded Don Muang airport.

Friday marked the beginning of a gradual shift to the new airport, with a portion of Thai Airways domestic flights and all flights by budget carrier Jetstar scheduled to use Suvarnabhumi, the airport authority said in a statement.

A technical glitch at the check-in counter required passengers on the first flight of the day, to the northern city of Phitsanulok, to be checked in manually, airport officials said.

All of the carrier's three daily flights to Phitsanulok will be leaving from the new airport.

Thai Airways will also operate four weekly flights to Ubon Ratchathani and three flights a week to northern Chiang Mai. Other flights to and from Chiang Mai and Ubon Ratchathani will continue to operate from the Don Muang.

Passengers were advised to check tickets for airport codes. "BKK" signifies Don Muang airport, and "NBK" stands for the new facility.

Singapore-based Jetstar -- which operates daily flights to Jakarta and Singapore, and five days a week to Bangalore -- has moved all flights to Suvarnabhumi.

The new airport is expected to accommodate up to 45 million passengers a year, compared to Don Muang airport, which serves about 39 million passengers a year.

I wonder how much bigger the new airport is than Don Muang especially considering it's only suppose to handle 6 more million passangers a year?

[screaming_emu]

Shows how much I pay attention, I wasn't even aware that Bangkok was in the process of building a new airport. Interested to see pictures as they come available.

[CathayPacific]

I wonder how much bigger the new airport is than Don Muang especially considering it's only suppose to handle 6 more million passangers a year?

Note that the 45 million figure is for phase 1 development (which is going to open soon after much delay). So there are plans and space reserved to expand when needed.

Shows how much I pay attention, I wasn't even aware that Bangkok was in the process of building a new airport. Interested to see pictures as they come available.

Pictures here, you are going to find that all new airports in East Asia look the same:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Panoramic-SBIA-garden01.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Suvarnabhumi_Airport_outside.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Suvarnabhumi_Airport_inside.jpg

[MaxPower]

Note that the 45 million figure is for phase 1 development (which is going to open soon after much delay). So there are plans and space reserved to expand when needed.


Pictures here, you are going to find that all new airports in East Asia look the same:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:P...A-garden01.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:S...rt_outside.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:S...ort_inside.jpg

Great. Thanks for the photos. I can't wait to visit the airport, it looks modern with it's design. And I guess you are right.. The new airports looks kinda the same, if you take a look at Clark International airport, it will have the same design like HKG airport but will be more technologically advanced than HKG. Will the Thai Air force stay at the Don Muang ?

[Foxtrot]

Re:

The new airport is about 8000 acres area wise-pretty big. That's how big OKC is, and it's one of the top ten airports area-wise in the U.S.

Here's a link you might find interesting:

http://www.airport-technology.com/projects/bangkok/index.html#bangkok2

Foxtrot

[uy707]

I heard Don Muang will still keep a few domestic, starting with the low-fare flyers together with the RTAF.
Alain

[CathayPacific]

I heard Don Muang will still keep a few domestic, starting with the low-fare flyers together with the RTAF.
Alain

Don Muang will keep some domestic flights. Some LCCs will stay there too. But the new airport has a domestic terminal and now it's building a LCC wing too (which was not in the original plan), so don't know how the domestic and LCC flights are going to be divided.

Air Force is staying in Don Muang for sure.

[cx777]

I heard that the old terminal @ don muang will be transformed into a mall..

How come they're all doing that to old terminals? I heard the same about NAIA T3 once CRK develops..

And yeah.. RTAF will stay @ Don Muang..

[CathayPacific]

I heard that the old terminal @ don muang will be transformed into a mall..

How come they're all doing that to old terminals? I heard the same about NAIA T3 once CRK develops..

Turning into a mall is still a much better fate than Kai Tak, isn't it?

By the way, are they really going to use Clark to replace MNL? I have been hearing that since the day that the USAF left Clark but it was nearly 20 years ago and nothing has happened.

[cx777]

Turning into a mall is still a much better fate than Kai Tak, isn't it?

By the way, are they really going to use Clark to replace MNL? I have been hearing that since the day that the USAF left Clark but it was nearly 20 years ago and nothing has happened.

MNL has been recieving a lot of traffic and will still recieve more due to the many Filipinos who work abroad and many tourists who visit the islands of the Philippines.. MNL has 2 runways, wherein heavies can only land on one of them.. The area around MNL is very occupied, it has no room to expand.. The only way to go is CRK, which has a lot of room and is conveniently located in and near another special economic zone, and to some popular tourist destinations..

3 international airlines will start services to CRK starting by the end of September along with Asiana, Tiger Airways and CR Airways..

Here's a link to a thread about CRK's planned development..

http://www.jetphotos.net/forums/showthread.php?t=34390

[AA 1818]

Well here is some better news for Thai Airways -

BANGKOK (AFP) - Flag carrier Thai Airways International has said it would buy four Boeing 777-200ER aircraft worth 560 million dollars to expand its fleet amid strong foreign demand.

"We want to meet strong foreign demand as we open new direct flights from Bangkok to Johannesburg in October," a company official said, adding that Thai Airways would receive the planes in the next fiscal year to September 2007.

The airline will launch three flights per week from the Thai capital to Johannesburg, South Africa, next month, eyeing travel demand from North and East Africa.

The latest purchase would bring the number of Boeing aircraft operated by Thai Airways to 44, the official said, adding the company also owns 41 aircraft built by Boeing's European rival Airbus.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060918...y_060918035432

Good news all around for Thai Airways!!!

[MaxPower]

Is these brand new acfts? I am just wondering this as there should be a dozens of 777's sitting and waiting for new owners.. Anyway it's nice to see a major airline still wants these versions. Time to boost the prod-line again..

[DAL767-400ER]

4 new 777s for delivery in 2007, with no UFOs on Boeing's site? Doubtful. Either these will be used, or they are part of the order TG placed years ago, as it can be considered impossible to get 777 delivery slots for 2007, as the line is full.

[uy707]

The one(s) I figure as staying at DonMuang
-Air Asia
-Orient Thai/One-to-Go
The one which will surely be up to move by orders from the parent company : Nok Air
Alain

[pbateson]

The one(s) I figure as staying at DonMuang
-Air Asia
-Orient Thai/One-to-Go
The one which will surely be up to move by orders from the parent company : Nok Air
Alain

Nope! 3 airlines move to their new airport.