Don Muang

[ianh68]

According to the Bangkok Post Don Muang is converting to a maintenance base in April 2011 and so Nok Airlines and Orient Thai will have to relocate to Suvarnabhumi. However, Nok Air are taking internet bookings from Don Muang up to May this year. Can anyone book with confidence using this method?

[mrclough]

Very good question!

I don't suppose you've tried contacting Nok Air (who would know best) to clarify this yet have you?

Would be interesting because Don Mueang is much more convenient for internal flights.

[ratanafarmer]

He,use your eyes,the report says, change from Domestic to old Terminel 1.

[rak sa_ngop]

He,use your eyes,the report says, change from Domestic to old Terminel 1.

Actually when I read a report I was also confused because it didn't say 'old' Terminal 1.

After reading carefully between the lines it became clear that the report was soley about Don Muang, and Terminal 1 was the old International Terminal 1.

Easy mistake to make.

[ianh68]

Thanks for the clarification. T1 refers to Don Muang, not Suvarnabhumi. Here is Wikipedia, for reference:

Don Mueang International Airport has 3 terminals. Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, used as the international terminal before the opening of Suvarnabhumi Airport, are currently not used, while Terminal 3 is in active use as a domestic terminal.

Future plans for Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 are not yet officially published. It is speculated that Terminals 1 and 2 will later be utilised as a low-cost carrier facility.

[Lakegeneve]

He,use your eyes,the report says, change from Domestic to old Terminel 1.

Actually when I read a report I was also confused because it didn't say 'old' Terminal 1.

After reading carefully between the lines it became clear that the report was soley about Don Muang, and Terminal 1 was the old International Terminal 1.

Easy mistake to make.

I it was quite clear;

Airports of Thailand Plc (AoT) plans to close the domestic terminal at Don Mueang Airport and move flight operations to Terminal 1 (T1). The relocation means that Nok Airlines and Orient Thai Airlines, the only scheduled carriers operating through the century-old airport, will move in April.

This paves the way for AoT to develop the site around the domestic terminal into an aircraft maintenance centre in the future, said airport general manager Prateep Wichitto. AoT can also cut costs as T1 was only handling a couple of chartered international flights each month. The two budget airlines together operate 30 to 40 point-to-point domestic flights per day through the domestic terminal.

AoT is earmarking 19 million baht to redecorate the interior of T1 and upgrade the air-conditioning to facilitate the relocated operations. The two carriers' executives indicated they would bear the moving costs by themselves, though they said it was too early to know the figures. Mr Prateep said T1 was connected with the parking building so there would be no inconvenience.

The relocation may form part of a redevelopment of Don Mueang, though the government remains indecisive about the airport's role. There is a debate about whether the airport should be reactivated for international flights to compete with Suvarnabhumi, Thailand's main airport in Samut Prakan.

Officials have called for Don Mueang to be made into a maintenance centre for small and medium-sized aircraft, a landing gear maintenance centre for narrow-bodied aircraft, an aircraft parts stock management centre, a flight simulator facility, an international free-trade zone or a private jet/air taxi terminal. However, no decision has been made on the issues.