Domestic Flights Set To Shift Back To Suvarnabhumi Airport

[george]

Airlines set to shift domestic flights back to Suvarnabhumi Airport

BANGKOK: -- Three airlines currently operating domestic flights out of Don Mueang airport are ready to shift back to Suvarnabhumi International Airport.

National flag carrier Thai Airways, low-cost carriers Nok Air and Orient Thai have been operating domestic flights from Don Mueang, claiming inadequate facilities at Suvarnabhumi. Now that the expansion of Suvarnabhumi airport is near complete, airline executives said they are ready to pack up their operations at Don Mueang.

THAI Airways president Apinan Sumanaseni said THAI supported the single airport policy since it benefited passengers the most. The shift of domestic operations back to Suvarnabhumi can be completed without fuss, he said.

Nok Air chief operating officer Patee Sarasin said the low-cost carrier is willing to return to Suvarnabhumi provided the authorities can address the congestion problem and commit to expanding the airport's capacity to accommodate more flights.

Mr Udom Tantiprasongchai, chief executive officer of Orient Thai, another budget carrier, said Orient Thai and One-Two-Go have no particular preference, but he wants clarity on the government's policy to avoid any confusion.

Moreover, the efficiency and adequate facilities at Suvarnabhumi provide strong incentives for carriers to operate from there, said Mr Udom.

-- TNA 2008-03-25

[Big A]

Jesus Christ. Make up your minds!!

[Thai at Heart]

Jesus Christ. Make up your minds!!

FINALLY SENSE PREVAILS

[marshbags]

Jesus Christ. Make up your minds!!

FINALLY SENSE PREVAILS

I,ll second that !!!!!!

At last it appears some consideration is being given to those effected most by this important issue, the passengers

When it happens we can all rejoice and the sooner the better.

marshbags

[LuckyFive8888]

Jesus Christ. Make up your minds!!

they did.

[jayjayjayjay]

"Now that the expansion of Suvarnabhumi airport is near complete"

What?

Actually, SVB needs the domestic terminal rethought. IMHO they need to build a terminal directly opposite the baggage collection area. If you could take the neat little termial at Don Muang, and place it so you could walk out the checkin area, go straight ahead into a domestic terminal the same setup as Don Muang and maybe twice as long, this would cut all the walking around in the dungeons of Savarnabhumi. The rest of the big H shape could be dedicated to International.

Check out my pic for the new modified SVB airport (sorry about the beautiful graphics)

Edited March 26, 2008 by jayjayjayjay

[sbk]

Did they fix all the cracks in the parking bays?

Airport's Aircraft Parking Bays And A Taxiway Closed For Repairs

[cclub75]

"Now that the expansion of Suvarnabhumi airport is near complete"

What?

Exactly. That's the key word.

The guys at TNA are totally lunatic. Anyway, what we could expect from the government's propaganda staffel ?

The source of this paper is only to show that Nok Air, Thai Airways are, of course, following the new master's will. And therefore, they need to claim that they are ready to... move back so Suva.

It's a kiss arse exercise. Nothing more.

[marquess]

"Now that the expansion of Suvarnabhumi airport is near complete"

What?

Exactly. That's the key word.

The guys at TNA are totally lunatic. Anyway, what we could expect from the government's propaganda staffel ?

The source of this paper is only to show that Nok Air, Thai Airways are, of course, following the new master's will. And therefore, they need to claim that they are ready to... move back so Suva.

It's a kiss arse exercise. Nothing more.

Yes wasn't only a short time ago that they were saying that they now had more domestic passengers due to the move back to Don Muang; as the airport was more convenient to get to?

[jayjayjayjay]

"Now that the expansion of Suvarnabhumi airport is near complete"

What?

Exactly. That's the key word.

The guys at TNA are totally lunatic. Anyway, what we could expect from the government's propaganda staffel ?

The source of this paper is only to show that Nok Air, Thai Airways are, of course, following the new master's will. And therefore, they need to claim that they are ready to... move back so Suva.

It's a kiss arse exercise. Nothing more.

Here's my new version of Suvarnabhumi with a decent Domestic Terminal, idea taken from the very convenient Don Muang terminal......... Sorry about the quality of graphics!! But this is what they should do to cut walking and wasting of time walking around the dungeons of Suvarnabhumi......!!

A decent Domestic terminal should be built opposite the arrivals and departure lounge. The rest of the Concourse could be left for international passenger management(the big H shape). It would make domestic central, cut down walking by 1000%. It would centralise domestic location, speed up domestic handling. Give domestic planes access to both runways quickly ie quick turnaround of domestic flights, less downtime. It would avoid the needs to bus in and out to buses....... Taxi to plane could be as easy as Don Muang, not something provided at SVB.

Double post sorry!

Edited March 26, 2008 by jayjayjayjay

[britmaveric]

Bad idea - DM was great for those flights. Suppose the cost will rise to boot, always more expensive from swampy.

[Rtwo]

Jesus Christ. Make up your minds!!

FINALLY SENSE PREVAILS

Finality and sense in Thailand ??? How long you've been here?

[Thai at Heart]

Jesus Christ. Make up your minds!!

FINALLY SENSE PREVAILS

Finality and sense in Thailand ??? How long you've been here?

I didn't for one minute believe that they may not change their minds tomorrow.

[PhilHarries]

National flag carrier Thai Airways, low-cost carriers Nok Air and Orient Thai have been operating domestic flights from Don Mueang, claiming inadequate facilities at Suvarnabhumi. Now that the expansion of Suvarnabhumi airport is near complete, airline executives said they are ready to pack up their operations at Don Mueang.

THAI Airways president Apinan Sumanaseni said THAI supported the single airport policy since it benefited passengers the most. The shift of domestic operations back to Suvarnabhumi can be completed without fuss, he said.

Nok Air chief operating officer Patee Sarasin said the low-cost carrier is willing to return to Suvarnabhumi provided the authorities can address the congestion problem and commit to expanding the airport's capacity to accommodate more flights.

Mr Udom Tantiprasongchai, chief executive officer of Orient Thai, another budget carrier, said Orient Thai and One-Two-Go have no particular preference, but he wants clarity on the government's policy to avoid any confusion.

Moreover, the efficiency and adequate facilities at Suvarnabhumi provide strong incentives for carriers to operate from there, said Mr Udom.

I see lots of mealy words but no committment. Nobody is saying we WILL move back to Suvarnabhumi.

And as has been said what "expansion at Suvarnabhumi"? They haven't even cleared King Power out of the terminal and, with the new administration, probably never will.

[tartempion]

Congestion , what congestion ?

Got in/out savanaboum to day and last week, did not experience any problems nor congestion.

The stupid part was that I needed to spend a night in Bangkok on the way out because I arrived DM and needed to depart from Suavarnabhumi with insufficient time to switch airports, extra cost 2k baht.

It's stupid to run two airports and expect customers to commute from one to other.

Let's wait-and-see...

[jumnien]

Didn't the new airport's opening taking money away from the generals at Don Muang start the last coup. Seems like giving the boys a few domestic flights is the least the citizens can do to insure peace.

[Supaporn]

Even more congestion and more delays is what I believe we see. The Air Traffic Controllers are seemingly at a saturation point as it is now - but they always have been. Slow downs, holding, etc will be the name of the game. What a joke.

[ovenman]

Jesus Christ. Make up your minds!!

they did.

For now.

[jumnien]

One airport or two works just fine for me!

[Big A]

Doesn't bother me either at all, but I wish they'd stop making fools of themselves with the constant bickering.

[geriatrickid]

Even more congestion and more delays is what I believe we see. The Air Traffic Controllers are seemingly at a saturation point as it is now - but they always have been. Slow downs, holding, etc will be the name of the game. What a joke.

I don't expect that closing DMK will have much of an impact as the FCs at BKK still have to monitor the airspace around DMK to make sure flights are properly spaced. The close proximity of the 2 airports does have an impact on approaches etc.

[Ricardo]

Didn't the new airport's opening taking money away from the generals at Don Muang start the last coup. Seems like giving the boys a few domestic flights is the least the citizens can do to insure peace.

Well that's a novel theory !

It's high time that this cack-handed experiment, which inconveniences millions of travellers, of having (most) domestic-flights hubbed at D.M. while all international-flights leave Suvarnabhumi, was ended. But the idea that this is thanks to some mysterious 'expansion' at the new airport, when it's still struggling to become fully-useable, thanks to the original corruption on the project, seems odd.

Perhaps we should rather blame the military, for pressing-ahead with the opening-schedule, when it simply wasn't yet ready ?

[Plus]

The main problem with the new airport is the price. Airlines go wherever they make more money and lose less.

If moving to Suwaranbhumi means jacking up prices while their rivals can continue offering cheaper flights from DMK, they'd rather stay. If they move, they move together, under direct political pressure.

And what about AOT - they also want to make more money. They obviously need to use Don Muang to generate profits rather than rot away.

And passengers - most domestic flights are for locals, they don't care which airport to use, they'd choose cheaper option any day.

[Payboy]

didnt they just pocket, err i mean spend, 70 million baht to restart dmk ?

[peterjohn]

didnt they just pocket, err i mean spend, 70 million baht to restart dmk ?

One or two airports

it doesn't matter but just get it right on how to get from one to the other

caught the bus from S to DM and bus driver to my self and my thia wife that he could nly drop us at train station and we had to walk over the over head bridge to get to the domestic airport

we new it had been closed since airport closed

only in thialand

[jackspratt]

didnt they just pocket, err i mean spend, 70 million baht to restart dmk ?

One or two airports

it doesn't matter but just get it right on how to get from one to the other

caught the bus from S to DM and bus driver to my self and my thia wife that he could nly drop us at train station and we had to walk over the over head bridge to get to the domestic airport

we new it had been closed since airport closed

only in thialand

How did you know that?

If you are talking about the overhead bridge, it certainly hasn't been closed. In fact I caught the bus recently from S to DM, and walked over the the bridge.

So thialand incorrectly blamed again!

Sigh....

Edited March 27, 2008 by jackspratt

[siam2007]

Bad idea - DM was great for those flights. Suppose the cost will rise to boot, always more expensive from swampy.

for me it's much much cheaper from Swampy,and now highway-toll applies from where I live. nevertheless, the idea of making DMK a budget-carrier-airport (but with INTERNATIONAL flights) with low fees and low departure taxes still makes some sense....

other big cities have several airports too (shanghai, not to mention those 5... or even 6 ? in London....).

anyway, as its so close to my home, I can live with a single airport "Swampy" very well too

[PadThaiGuy]

Why did they move back to DM in the first place? Cracked runways? Congestion? Or was it a reward by the coup makers to some heavweight mafia types at DM?

Now, the politics change and there again is room again a Suwannapoom?

Corruption dictates this latest move.(and every move)

[thaigene2]

Did they fix all the cracks in the parking bays?

Airport's Aircraft Parking Bays And A Taxiway Closed For Repairs

Of course not. They're still busy fiddling with the paving contracts and replacing matierials with more sub-standard stuff. Once they've squeezed every last baht out of the contract for themselves - and finished doctoring the invoices from their wives' cousins' supply companies, they'll re-open the gate gangways - meantime, it means another leasing contract for more buses to get you to the aircraft!

Nothing happens here without a little scheme already in place.

[Payboy]

Why did they move back to DM in the first place? Cracked runways? Congestion? Or was it a reward by the coup makers to some heavweight mafia types at DM?

dmk belongs to the airforce and most of the concessions for various services required to run an airport there are probably granted to related entities...

next question please...

Edited April 8, 2008 by Payboy