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Aot Aims To Put Suvarnabhumi In Airports Top 10 Internationally

george

By george
in Thailand News Headlines

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george Legendary Member

george

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Posted

AoT aims to put Suvarnabhumi in airports' 'top 10' internationally

BANGKOK: -- Airports of Thailand (AoT) says it will promote Suvarnabhumi Airport as one of the world's top ten international airports in terms of outstanding service within the coming year.

Speaking on the occasion of the second anniversary of the airport's opening, AoT acting president Serirat Prasutanont said more than 80 million people had used the service in the past two years.

Of this, 41.9 million are passengers traveling during October 2006-September 2007 and 38.5 million during October 2007-August 2008.

It is expected the number of passengers this year will reach 41.14 million at the end of this month.

He said that air cargo services during the past two years totaled 2.42 million tonnes, with 1.2 million tonnes registered in the first year.

It projected air cargo through the end of this fiscal year would total 1.29 million tonnes.

One hundred eleven airlines currently serve Suvarnabhumi, 97 as passenger airlines and 14 carrying cargo.

During the third year of operations, Mr. Serirat said AoT planned to improve design and utility of luggage

wheels at the airport to meet international standards.

It would also increase the number of closed-circuit television (CCTV) monitors by 755 from the 1,074 now installed as part of a concerted effort to boost security measures both inside and outside passenger buildings.

"We have targeted making Suvarnabhumi Airport one of the world's top ten airports with outstanding services in 2009," he said.

-- TNA 2008-09-29

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Scott Star Member

Scott

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I went from hating it to simply not minding it. I find it too big and a bit overwhelming. It's noisy and it feels industrial--more like a factory than anything else. Once in the departure area, however, it's OK.

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younghusband Gold Member

younghusband

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To this American, it looks like a gigantic Costco.

Sorry I don't share your familiarity with American trailer trash malls.

For those interested here's the relevant extract from Salon's aviation guy, Patrick Smith.Have a look at his column "Ask the Pilot".It's really good.

"Suvarnabhumi airport, Bangkok. Say it again: Suvarnabhumi. Don't worry if you can't pronounce it, because your first sight of the place will leave you speechless. Opened in September 2007, Suvarnabhumi is possibly the most visually spectacular airport in the world. In a region full of sparkling new aerodromes -- Seoul, Singapore, Osaka, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong -- that's saying something. In the evening, approaching by highway from downtown Bangkok, the main terminal looms like some goliath space station, a vision of glass and light and steel, its huge transoms bathed in cool blue spotlight. Nobody misses greasy old Don Muang International; anything would have been an improvement."

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younghusband Gold Member

younghusband

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To this American, it looks like a gigantic Costco.

Sorry I don't share your familiarity with American trailer trash malls.

What you don't know about America could fill a gigantic Costco.

Touche.You have skewered me with your rapier wit.But it's true I'm more familiar with NY, Harvard Yard and the West Coast than the lardarse hinterland.

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animatic Star Member

animatic

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AoT aims to put Suvarnabhumi in airports' 'top 10' internationally

BANGKOK: -- Airports of Thailand (AoT) says it will

It would also increase the number of closed-circuit television (CCTV) monitors by 755 from the 1,074 now installed as part of a concerted effort to boost security measures both inside and outside passenger buildings.

-- TNA 2008-09-29

Ah yes!

Your see that PASSENGERS are the big security threat.

Nothing said about putting more security cameras in

Luggage Transport, inspection and storage spaces,

access points to sensitive areas, like fuel and communications.

The luggage trolley theft portals...

The staff is COMPLETELY trustworthy having been vetted

by so MANY security checks...

I think a dozen camers should be trained on KING POWER Watch sales,

since the batteries get stolen from new watches, and replaced with worn out ones,

so that they can be sold back to purchasers with a service fee and 1 month wait.

Besides why have all those cameras when the observation staff is sleeping it off again.

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misterme Advanced Member

misterme

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Where do I start? Perhaps it should win the worst award. I don't care how the airport looks, it's functionality is the only thing that matters to me. Most of the Singapore Airport is old and worn, but it still gets top marks for it's user friendliness. Thailand could learn something by just coping others...

Major Suvarnabhumi Issues include:

Immigration to leave the country is frequently purposely understaffed. I waited one hour for a re-entry stamp recently... and I was the first in line. I then had to line up for the long wait to exit the country. Immigration refuses to operate transit departing passenger services. Dispite the transit area having everything needed to staff and process transit departures, they only allow CIQ passengers access (those that have officially exited Thailand at their point of origin).

The Thai International check-in counters are the farthest counters from the gate. in certain cases, requiring over a kilometer walk to your gate. The First Class check-in is the furthest away. Either move the check-in closer to the flights, or the flights closer to the check-in. Currently they operate flights to specific parts of the world to specific concourses. Terrible in practice, no matter how good it sounds on paper.

During this long walk from check-in, across the duty free area, the long concourse E, to the other 3 departure wings, there is only a small stretch of moving sidewalks, so that people would be forced to walk through the shopping area.

To provide a shopping atmosphere, the main terminal is a Silent Zone, so you won't hear any announcements for your flight. Changes in departure are not able to be communicated, nor are flight boarding, final call, or specific passenger paging.

Inside the (not so) secure departure areas there are no Airline Counters and few, Departure Monitors to check on delays, gate changes, etc. When flights are delayed, often no airline staff are available to update the passengers.

Transiting passengers (SYD-BKK-LHR for example), even if they are to re-board the same aircraft on a re-fueling stop, are forced to walk the whole arrival councourse to access the departure levels (one floor above the arrival hall) and then walk the same entire concourse again before reboarding their flights. Passengers are adviced to walk as quickly as possible and not stop at duty free as the refueling/connecting stop is not long and warned that they cannot make announcements for late passengers in the silent zone. The reality is that elderly, mobility challenged, and families with small children are rushing this long walk back and forth at or around midnight for no reason other than bad airport management. Compare this with Singapore (SYD-SIN-LHR) where you just step off the aircraft, and back into the same departure area. Adding escalators & stairs would slove this problem (or, as they do in Hong Kong, have ramps going both up & down to/from the gate)

Poor security will allow any quantity of unscanned material into the airport complex. Only each departure gate has Xrays, and their focus seems to be on bottled water.

I vote it the worst Airport in ASIA.

The journalist that reviewed it had thier mind set before they even stepped in the place... either that or they just don't travel that often.

Edited by misterme
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animatic Star Member

animatic

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Posted (edited)
Some forum members will visit the US website "Salon" and enjoy the "Ask the Pilot" column, in my view a brilliant source for the aviation industry.Recently the columnist described Suvarnabhumi in the most glowing terms not least for its design and external beauty, easily the most impressive in Asia.

Other than Koh Samui Airport winning actual awards, as opposed to very nice reviews.

And believe me I have been VERY hard on this airport for lack of logic.

Yes Suvarnabuhmi has some lovely aspects and is beautiful in an industrial way,

but there are some many logic traps in it, that it becomes a VERY annoying experience.

Misterme has listed a nice compendum of those myriad faults right above this.

Only surpassed by the guy who designed the smoking lounges at Suvarnabhmi.

Helloooo, smoke goes UP, not down into the table, smoke eaters go on the CEILING.

PUTZ!

I quit a year back, but still curse him as I walk be from my few times in that black hole of Calcuta.

The moving walkways great for those arriving...

Time for a leasurly stroll or mad dash while feeling strong.

Hel_l on earth for those just off a 12 hour flight.

Sure you want to walk and stretch a bit,

but a 1/4 mile forced march to get a good place in line in customs

with little chance to loosen up first is no fun for the aging.

Edited by animatic
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geriatrickid Star Member

geriatrickid

Posted
Posted (edited)

Misterme summed it up quite well.

The problem with BKK is that it is hel_l on earth for the elderly, infirm and those with kiddies in tow. It boggles the mind that the BKK Novotel airport hotel has to be accessed by shuttle buses while the Airport Regent in Hong Kong is so convenient. Both are the same distance to the main terminal. BKK is filled with poorly used space and is a monument to designers that had no understanding of what travelers want or need. It is the Temple of Inconvenience.

Edited by geriatrickid
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