Talks Over Don Muang’s Future

[george]

Talks over Don Muang’s future

Ministry to map out role of airport as Suvarnabhumi nears completion

BANGKOK: -- Early next year, the fate of Don Muang international airport will become clearer as a consulting committee is soon to decide how it will be used after the opening of Suvarnabhumi Airport.

Vice Transport Minister Mahidol Chantrangkurn said yesterday that the panel would meet next week to wrap up a preliminary list of aviation activities that could be conducted in future at Don Muang.

Consideration will also be given to the option of maintaining it as a secondary airport.

“Within 60 days, the committee will finalise its opinions and report to Transport Minister Pongsak Ruktapongpisal,” Mahidol said.

In agreeing that some activities should be maintained at Don Muang, Mahidol did not rule out the possibility that it could be used as a special airport for low-cost airlines. However, the pros and cons of all possible activities will be thoroughly weighed and the committee will also take into account the experiences of other countries where new airports have recently been opened.

“We need to know how they have handled their old airports,” he said.

Mahidol said the committee had reached “preliminary agreement” that Don Muang should remain as Bangkok’s secondary airport, but without understanding the foreseeable impacts on Suvarnabhumi, it has not yet decided whether it will be reserved solely for low-cost airlines.

“We need to assess whether Suvarnabhumi will be able to accommodate low-cost airlines, with their estimated 10-per-cent increase in passengers each year, and we also need to assess whether offering services to low-cost airlines will affect Suvarnabhumi’s aim of becoming a regional aviation hub.

“Low-cost airlines have recorded sharp growth, with nearly 5 million passengers so far this year. This could crowd Suvarnabhumi more quickly than estimated,” Mahidol said.

Any decision on Don Muang needs substantiated facts, and all questions have to be answered one at a time, the former Transport Ministry permanent secretary said.

The main question is what future purposes Don Muang will serve, now that it is clear the airport will maintain its aviation function. Possibilities include using it for chartered flights, personal jets, special jets, small cargo planes or low-cost airlines.

Another question is how to make use of its buildings.

Don Muang’s director, Pinit Saraithong, said it cost about Bt100 million a month to run the airport.

However, if Don Muang is to be maintained as a working airport, the costs of running it could be reduced by scaling down some operations, he said.

Suvarnabhumi is expected to begin commercial services in June next year, as a separate unit from Don Muang.

--The Nation 2005-11-02

[~G~]

...the fate of Don Muang international airport will become clearer... soon to decide how it will be used after the opening of Suvarnabhumi Airport...

...offering services to low-cost airlines will affect Suvarnabhumi’s aim of becoming a regional aviation hub.

If Suvarnabhumi is an aviation hub, Don Muang can be the space hub.

[cclub75]

It is amazing, even for Thailand, that six month before the official opening of the new airport (june 2006).... the fate of the old one is still unknown. Or worst : undecided !

We are not talking about a 7/11 booth, but a project of dozen of billions of THB...

The comments about the impact of low cost airlines are very "tasty" I think. The idea to keep Don Muang for low cost companies also...

Last year I remember, it was "we are going to use the old aiport building to relocate some administrations or ministers"... That's why, many investors has built hundreds of houses in Pathum Thani aera for instance...

Such un-planing is really scary.

[Erwin1011]

Not as much unplanning, but correctly assigning the benefits...

[grahamb]

that six month before the official opening of the new airport (june 2006).... the fate of the old one is still unknown. Or worst : undecided !

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What official opening?! I won't be holding my breath waiting for that in June...

[Axel]

that six month before the official opening of the new airport (june 2006).... the fate of the old one is still unknown. Or worst : undecided !

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What official opening?! I won't be holding my breath waiting for that in June...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

June is ok, but 2006?

[carlthailand]

Come on. It is the latest tourist attraction for Thailand. Surely, you can all see it. Will certainly, give Disneyland a run for its money. Its right up there with the convention centre.

C

[yeti]

“We need to assess whether Suvarnabhumi will be able to accommodate low-cost airlines, with their estimated 10-per-cent increase in passengers each year, and we also need to assess whether offering services to low-cost airlines will affect Suvarnabhumi’s aim of becoming a regional aviation hub.

“Low-cost airlines have recorded sharp growth, with nearly 5 million passengers so far this year. This could crowd Suvarnabhumi more quickly than estimated,” Mahidol said.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Suvarnabhumi would have been constructed without an estimate of future global air traffic? Can't believe this

And of course "a regional aviation hub" makes more sense without low-cost airlines

[lomatopo]

Does anyone know if Suvarnabhumi will retain the three-letter IATA code "BKK"? (I assume yes.) And if so, and Don Muang were to remain as some sort of operating airport, what would it's IATA code be?

Edited November 4, 2005 by lomatopo

[Maestro]

Does anyone know if Suvarnabhumi will retain the three-letter IATA code "BKK"? (I assume yes.) And if so, and Don Muang were to remain as some sort of operating airport, what would it's IATA code be?

In such case, it makes better sense for the new airport to get a new code. It’s going to be difficult to find a still unused 3-letter combination that gives the idea of Suvarnabhumi.

Paris has CDG (Charles de Gaulle), New York has JFK (John F. Kennedy), etc. Who knows, Bangkok’s new airport may get named after the first Thai Prime Minister landing there, but I see that TAK and TKS, for example, are already taken.

Hey, what about XXX? That’s still free (SEX is taken)

//Edit: TIT (this is Thailand) is also still available.

Edited November 5, 2005 by maestro

[george]

How about TIT ?

[Maestro]

How about TIT ?

George, you beat me to it, while I was editing my post

Everybody, go to http://www.airlinecodes.co.uk/ to see if your favourite code is still available.

[Johpa]

You know, it was not all that long ago that Don Muang's expansion, along with the elevated highway accesses, were completed. And normally such large infrastructure projects need at least 20 to 30 years to pay back loans. So I assume that it is the taxpayes burden to pay off these loans instead of the user fees generated at Don Muang. Or was that why the expanded Don Muang's central departure terminal area was turned into a cheap, and rather embarassing, crowded tourist knick-knack market a la Patpong?

[ilyushin]

Why wasn't that one of the key points issued when the new airport was under consideration?

[marshbags]

that six month before the official opening of the new airport (june 2006).... the fate of the old one is still unknown. Or worst : undecided !

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What official opening?! I won't be holding my breath waiting for that in June...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

More a case of not letting on to the public the already thought out future by the pu yi and who gets what from the pie, me thinks..........................

[bdenner]

Assuming Don Muang becomes Bangkoks 'Domestic' terminal in part if not in full have they concidered transfers? What transport system is being put in place to get passengers from one location to the other.

I can see myself being stuck in traffic for hours

[Crossy]

Assuming Don Muang becomes Bangkoks 'Domestic' terminal in part if not in full have they concidered transfers? What transport system is being put in place to get passengers from one location to the other.

I can see myself being stuck in traffic for hours

An extension to the airport line to Don Muang is / was (who knows now) part of the Red Line plans, quick comfy transfers between the airports.

Edited November 6, 2005 by Crossy