An Opportunity For Thailand To Become A Global Aviation Hub

[webfact]

Govt, industry must join hand to achieve aviation-hub goal

By SUCHAT SRITAMA

THE NATION

Thailand could become a regional aviation hub if the government can come up with a clear strategy and action plan, plus upgrades in services of such key players as Thai Airways International and Airports of Thailand (AOT), as well as a reboot of Thai hospitality.

At a roundtable titled "Thailand: An Opportunity to Be a Global Aviation Hub" organised last week by Krungthep Turakij newspaper, key speakers from the tourism and aviation industries strongly agreed that Thailand had the potential to become such a hub if management and service issues could be improved. This would help improve the competitiveness of the country's tourism sector.

Nitinai Sirismatthakarn, AOT senior executive vice president for business development and marketing, said about 70 per cent of travellers at Singapore's Changi Airport stopped over and visited the city, while only 30 per cent were in transit. At Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport, 30 per cent of passengers stayed on in the Kingdom and 70 per cent transited to other countries.

"AOT aims to reverse the numbers. Seventy per cent should stop over in Thailand," he said.

That requires cooperation from all.

Pornthip Hirunkate, vice president of the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT), urged the government and authorities involved in the aviation sector to consider long-term development if they want to see Thailand become a global or even a regional aviation hub.

"We have reached full capacity at two major airports, Suvarnabhumi and Phuket International, but haven't seen as yet any long-term development plan in preparation for the future," Pornthip said.

She said the TCT, the country's largest private tourism body, wanted to hear a 10-year strategy of forward thinking like that in many countries such as Singapore and South Korea.

She called for such participants as THAI, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, AOT and the private sector to work together to improve the standards of internal management and services.

Singapore, for instance, is already preparing for the regional open sky that will start in 2013 and for seamless trade within the Asean Economic Community in 2015. Thailand should get ready to |benefit from the open-sky policy.

Chokchai Panyayong, THAI executive vice president for strategy and business development, suggested that the government direct the future of the aviation industry if the country wants to become an aviation hub. Airports and airlines should also improve their services.

The results of a study on utilising Bangkok's two airports are expected to be announced soon. The International Air Transport Association has urged the government to use a single airport.

"Airlines and airports usually progress in the same way. Once an airport receives any global award, the airlines [associated with it] get recognition too. [seoul's] Incheon Airport is a good example," Chokchai said.

He added that being an aviation hub did not just mean a good airport or airline, but whole areas of the city needed to be improved. The hub should also be able to encourage any airline to include it as a destination, not only for stopovers but for tourism.

Manassanant Tantiprasongchai, chief executive officer of Orient Thai Airlines, the country's major charter-flight operator, said the AOT needed to improve three kinds of services if it wanted Thailand to be a regional aviation hub: international management, communication, and traditional Thai services.

Orient Thai has retained its domestic service at Don Mueang and shifted international flights to Suvarnabhumi. Manassanant said a lot of customers preferred the old airport.

"At Suvarnabhumi Airport, we still have inconvenience due to a shortage of ramp bridges. We are considering relocating our service from the international terminal to the domestic terminal, but need time to think about it," she said.

Chokchai said THAI was trying to reduce the connecting time for passengers, which is 1.15 hours currently, much longer than in Munich, for example, where connections take about 30 minutes.

It also plans to use Don Mueang as a freighter centre to serve the growing cargo business.

Pornthip said the TCT believed that Thailand was already a tourism hub in the region with a strong presence of Thainess as well as products and services. However, these strengths have seemed to drop over past years and may soon lag behind some rivals.

"Smiling people at our airports, airlines and tour operators may be needed the most. Good airlines or airports alone will not help the entire industry," she said.

AOT has had a long-term plan to establish a regional aviation hub since Suvarnabhumi Airport opened five years ago. However, the airport this year fell to 40th from 24th place in the global airport ranking.

Nitinai said AOT would invest Bt60 billion to construct terminals and facilities in the second phrase of Suvarnabhumi Airport. Once the development is completed four years from now, capacity will be increased from the current 45 million passengers to 65 million.

Moreover, the company is investing Bt40 million in services and facilities at Suvarnabhumi Airport. It has started an "Airport of Smiles" campaign as part of its efforts to improve service standards.

For Don Mueang Airport, Nitinai said the company was looking at a number of options, including reopening it for domestic operations, making it a maintenance and parts centre, using it for private jet and charter flights, or housing a new exhibition centre.

In Phuket, AOT will spend Bt6 billion to expand the airport to accommodate more than 6 million passengers per year.

He acknowledged that making Thailand an aviation hub would need the government's support.

-- The Nation 2011-03-28

[taff33]

Global aviation hub I think it will take more than 'smiles' to get that.May be they don't read t.v.

[Ricardo]

But the premium-tourists use their own planes, they don't much fly with us 'hoi-palloi' on the big jets, so TAT will need to redirect its efforts from their recently-announced strategy.

[dunkin2012]

be realistic............

Tai has the best location in SE...

They could have been the best country in SE too.... If they can change .... what they are now....

[londonthai]

bkk is already overstretched, beyond to take more air planes and passengers, that's why domestic terminals are planned and another run away.

thailand is a regional hub, because is in the middle of se asia - that's why the majority are only transiting. It would never play role on a global scale

[dick turpin]

"if the government can come up with a clear strategy"

Says it all methinks

[ginjag]

"if the government can come up with a clear strategy"

Says it all methinks

Have 2 International airports, and you now need them in BKK. OPEN up D.MUENG and use it, are you stupid you commities ????

Paris-London-New York-.....Hong Kong-Singapore cannot... You have a golden opportunity to ge started, Change your strategy NOW.

Londons 5 airports, cope well. Phillipines go from Gatwick as do other Inter/airlines. Emirates go from Heathrow and Gatwick. What is the Problem here. The problem is not the airports it's the bodies that run them in Thailand, or how they are managed, UPDATE Don Mueng, 2 HUBS, why not ??

Look no airport Slips from 40th to 24th when its managed well. this airport hasn't slipped it's dropped BIG TIME.

My example re Emirates was it flies into U.K. Gatwck, Heathrow,Birmingham,Manchester, Newcastle.Glasgow, Here 1 choice

[ragandboneman]

Ffsake they can't even manage an immigration queue, some way to go I think.

Thanks

[exbelg]

555555555555555 aviation hub, yes, let red or yellow shirt take over the airports again

real hub of nothingness

[Payboy]

Hubba Hubba

[Sailfish1]

Upgrade Sattahip airport! With Sattahip and possible use of Don Muang, Thailand can handle all the air traffic. Do it Thailand and become the hub of Asia!

[Fookhaht]

In nine years' time, I've heard that Thailand was to become the "Hub of _______" (insert just about any word: "fashion," "IT," "health tourism," "TEFL," "skywalks," most recently "wisdom," etc.)

IS anyone else getting weary of the megalomaniac "hub" talk?

My suggested insertion: "dreamers."

[dunkin2012]

Upgrade Sattahip airport! With Sattahip and possible use of Don Muang, Thailand can handle all the air traffic. Do it Thailand and become the hub of Asia!

I don't think the Navy will allow this to happen....

The airport was built by the American G.I. durin' Vietnam war. The student union kicked 'em out. Now the airport is solely used by the Navy.

[h5kaf]

Hubba Hubba

Ha! Ha! They are intent on becoming a 'hub' for everything. It is as if they think that someone in the government, or one of the many bureaucracies, only has to mention the word 'hub' and all will be well. How many 'hubs' are we now?

[GaiUan]

If they want people to stay in LOS, they don't want it to be a hub, they want it to be a destination, and I have rarely seen tourists chosing a vacation destination based on its airport...

Also look at the Dubai one (to take the Emirates example again)... this airport describing itself as "connecting the world" is a pain in the a**... even the Emirates "business lounge" looks like a train station, biz class passengers feel like cattle. Is it really what we want?

[pisico]

In nine years' time, I've heard that Thailand was to become the "Hub of _______" (insert just about any word: "fashion," "IT," "health tourism," "TEFL," "skywalks," most recently "wisdom," etc.)

IS anyone else getting weary of the megalomaniac "hub" talk?

My suggested insertion: "dreamers."

May I add to the blank space "Megalomania", perhaps also hubris?

[doggie888888]

Pigs can fly IF they had wings.

[asiawatcher]

Upgrade Sattahip airport! With Sattahip and possible use of Don Muang, Thailand can handle all the air traffic. Do it Thailand and become the hub of Asia!

I don't think the Navy will allow this to happen....

The airport was built by the American G.I. durin' Vietnam war. The student union kicked 'em out. Now the airport is solely used by the Navy.

Actually - Utapao is presently being upgraded as the next international airport (about time). Don Muang is a nightmare and the apron and hard areas so poor planes are being damaged suspension and tyres, and it lands and takes off over a gold course. If any stray golf balls was to land in a jet under full power at takeoff, the result would be spread everywhere throughout Bangkok.

[GaiUan]

[...]it lands and takes off over a gold course

You're crazy to give away such a piece of precious information!! :lol:

Edited March 28, 2011 by GaiUan

[Payboy]

Upgrade Sattahip airport! With Sattahip and possible use of Don Muang, Thailand can handle all the air traffic. Do it Thailand and become the hub of Asia!

I don't think the Navy will allow this to happen....

The airport was built by the American G.I. durin' Vietnam war. The student union kicked 'em out. Now the airport is solely used by the Navy.

Actually - Utapao is presently being upgraded as the next international airport (about time). Don Muang is a nightmare and the apron and hard areas so poor planes are being damaged suspension and tyres, and it lands and takes off over a gold course. If any stray golf balls was to land in a jet under full power at takeoff, the result would be spread everywhere throughout Bangkok.

I've played that course and can confirm that the chances of balls actually making contact with an aircraft there are zero.

[dunkin2012]

[...]it lands and takes off over a gold course

You're crazy to give away such a piece of precious information!! :lol:

This is a typo....... He ain't mean it...

[ginjag]

Upgrade Sattahip airport! With Sattahip and possible use of Don Muang, Thailand can handle all the air traffic. Do it Thailand and become the hub of Asia!

I don't think the Navy will allow this to happen....

The airport was built by the American G.I. durin' Vietnam war. The student union kicked 'em out. Now the airport is solely used by the Navy.

Actually - Utapao is presently being upgraded as the next international airport (about time). Don Muang is a nightmare and the apron and hard areas so poor planes are being damaged suspension and tyres, and it lands and takes off over a gold course. If any stray golf balls was to land in a jet under full power at takeoff, the result would be spread everywhere throughout Bangkok.

YOU SAID Don muang is a nightmare== just because it needs a few baht spent on it compared with billions for a new terminal and runway at BKK. Please you are not being fair this is the airport if you want it to be. Golf Ha Ha ---stop the bar-stewards from playing -hence no golf balls bringing down aircraft in BKK as YOU put it. :lol:

connections to the High speed Rail-to be built, road and bus-tour stations round the corner--and HOTELS in all types of grades. I dont understand why all the fuss, D/Muang could be the KEY, they have the money---use it to good effect.

We would have connections there -domestic to International.

Utopao-good a 3rd, so we dont have to do anything to Swampy do we ??..........we can keep the Utopao for Russian charter as it is now used-and for other International charter flights.

Edited March 28, 2011 by ginjag

[bangon04]

Ffsake they can't even manage an immigration queue, some way to go I think.

Thanks

"Chokchai said THAI was trying to reduce the connecting time for passengers, which is 1.15 hours currently, much longer than in Munich, for example, where connections take about 30 minutes."

One important factor about connection times - the passengers usually prefer that their checked baggage gets to their destination at the same time as they do....

[softgeorge]

Thai's Just love this HUB word. Book hub, medical hub, education hub, law and order hub, food hub, transport hub, jetski hub, anti corruption hub and now HUB 1,001 AVIATION HUB.

[Ricardo]

Upgrade Sattahip airport! With Sattahip and possible use of Don Muang, Thailand can handle all the air traffic. Do it Thailand and become the hub of Asia!

I don't think the Navy will allow this to happen....

The airport was built by the American G.I. durin' Vietnam war. The student union kicked 'em out. Now the airport is solely used by the Navy.

"solely used by the Navy"

And Bangkok Airways, and cheap charter-flights from Russia, surely ?

[sangfroid]

Thai's Just love this HUB word. Book hub, medical hub, education hub, law and order hub, food hub, transport hub, jetski hub, anti corruption hub and now HUB 1,001 AVIATION HUB.

The hub hub of Asia!!

[khaowong1]

Thai's Just love this HUB word. Book hub, medical hub, education hub, law and order hub, food hub, transport hub, jetski hub, anti corruption hub and now HUB 1,001 AVIATION HUB.

If their not using the word "Hub" it's "Crackdown"

[dunkin2012]

Almost every weekend.. I pass Utapao... It's very quiet... I am sure there ain't many flights. Most of the activities are of the Navy...

[ableguy]

Upgrade Sattahip airport! With Sattahip and possible use of Don Muang, Thailand can handle all the air traffic. Do it Thailand and become the hub of Asia!

I don't think the Navy will allow this to happen....

The airport was built by the American G.I. durin' Vietnam war. The student union kicked 'em out. Now the airport is solely used by the Navy.

Probably where they are going to operate their subs.

[Nawtier]

They can use 12Go and orient Thai as their role models.