Bangkok‘s Don Muang To Become Second-tier Airport

[lomatopo]

Airport capacity is measured in ramps. Ramps are restricted by runways. A single runway requires minimum spacing between planes allowing only so many take offs and landings per hour. The article I refer to discussed the new airport having 51 gates while Don Muang has 54. End analysis is that the new airport will represent a decrease in capacity over the current status of Don Muang.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm guessing you've never flown into an airport, gotten a remote stand and been bussed to the terminal? Happens to me everytime arriving at BKK on UA.

Airport capacity is probably measureable in dozens of individual criteria. Passengers per time interval, take-offs/landings per hour, cargo, etc.

According to figures generally available for Suvarnbhumi...

No. of Aircraft Parking Bays Total of 120 parking bays - 51 with contact gates (5 capable of accommodating A380) and 69 remote gates

Annual Passenger Capacity 45 million at opening day and 100 million upon full development

Cargo Capacity 3 million metric tonnes per year and 6.4 million metric tonnes (Final Phase)

No. of flight operations per hour 76

[RJJ]

Read a good article in an Australian paper that did a thorough review of our saga. Keeping in mind that this project is 45 years old, since conception the world has continued to move along while our new airport struggled getting off the ground.

Airport capacity is measured in ramps. Ramps are restricted by runways. A single runway requires minimum spacing between planes allowing only so many take offs and landings per hour. The article I refer to discussed the new airport having 51 gates while Don Muang has 54. End analysis is that the new airport will represent a decrease in capacity over the current status of Don Muang.

Forget the Rai and noodle cart counts, count the gates and runways to determine capacity. I would guess that if they really plan on increasing capacity they will need to keep both airports running at darn near full capacity.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I believe runway capacity is limited to one plane every 90 seconds, giving a maximum capacity of 45 planes per hour, per runway.

It doesn't matter how many planes you can park on the ground, you have to be able to land them when they arrive in the airspace, and let them depart when they are ready to depart.

Holding patterns and take-off queues cause delays and are very expensive to airlines.

Is it true the new airport is opening with only one runway?

If that is correct, the new airport will have 50% throughput capacity of Don Muang.

[xbusman]

Thanks RJJ, I didnt want to argue with a frequent flyer who has been reading press releases.

Its a two runway airport with 51 gates. You can park as many planes as you want anywhere you want, but our new airport is two runways with 51 gates.

Don Muang will be busy for years to come. Thats not a bad thing actually. Plenty of world class hubs have multiple airports. I hope Thailand can fill both of them to capacity in the coming years.

[lomatopo]

Don Muang has 33 fixed gates, 25 in the International terminal and 8 in the domestic terminal. Don Muang has 62 remote gates. Don Muang can handle 60 flights per hour. Don Muang has two main runways. I doubt that Don Muang achieves 60 flights per hour at any but a few peak 15 minute periods. It seems like, when listening to BKK ATC approach and tower, that we (arrivals) are about 5 minutes apart, with a subsequent take-off in between on the same runway, at a peak arrival time like 11 PM. BTW, as most BKK UA flyers who listen to Ch. 9 will know, Thai ATC sound very, very professional and competent.

Suvarnabhumi is supposed to have two runways ( a total of four in the final phase ) and be capable of handling 76 flights per hour, with 51 fixed gates and 69 remote gates, all at initial opening.

I fail to see how the new airport will somehow have less capacity than Don Muang? I also fail to understand how both airports will continue to operate at full capacity. All international airlines will move simultaneously to the new airport. It sounds as though they are considering keeping Don Muang active for those carriers that may not be able to afford the new landing fees and other associated operating costs, and for other ancillary operations.

I also fail to understand how a press release is any less accurate than a "good article" in an Australian newspaper.

edit: Runway capacity is not fixed to some arbitrary figure like 90 seconds but rather a function of several crieteria not limited to aircraft type, approach speed, spacing, and sequencing.

Edited November 9, 2005 by lomatopo

[nikmcg]

Could any of you tell me why Bangkok needed another International Airport anyway?

I thought the existing one was pretty huge, and that if necessary could have been expanded for less money than this new one is costing.

I only ask the question as it appears the authorities don't seem to know exactly what the plans are for the current airport once this new one opens.

[george]

Update:

Low-cost Tiger Airways happy to stay at Don Muang

SINGAPORE: -- Tiger Airways on Thursday welcomed Thailand's plan to keep low-cost airlines at Bangkok's old Don Muang Airport while their full-service counterparts used the new Suvarnabhumi International Airport.

The plan "shows that budget carriers are coming into their own as more and more countries appreciate their importance and contribution to the tourism industry," The Straits Times quoted Tiger Chief Executive Tony Davis as saying.

"This explains why more and more countries are developing specialized airports to cater to budget airlines," he said.

A subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, Tiger's response differed from rival Jetstar Asia.

"It has always been the basis that we consider opportunities for Jetstar Asia on the merits of how it will best serve our passengers' needs," Jetstar Asia said.

Singapore and Thailand have an open-skies arrangement, allowing Singapore carriers to pick up passengers in Bangkok and fly them to other destinations.

Industry observers noted travellers flying to Bangkok on low-cost carriers may have difficulty connecting to flights on full-service carriers.

--DPA 2005-11-10

[john b good]

QUOTE

but only on a temporary basis as some services may have to be transferred from Suvarnabhumi if the airport became too overcrowded.

like maejo man , that was my reaction when reading this.

its not even open yet and they are talking about overcapacity.

havent they designed in some slack to cope with extra demand in the worlds largest airport.

what an amazing statement to make. surely he cant have meant it.

surely he cant have meant it. I bet he meant it but it just shows what a simpleton he is for saying it. still does it surprise you ???

[silk123]

Am i missing something. isn't the new airport 35km outside bangkok.

I'd much rather fly from don muang as its so much nearer. Unless there was a real fast transport system in place to the new airport rather than just a taxi mafia. That surprise 500 baht payment gives a last underhanded impression of the country. why is it not put in the ticket price same as in developed countries.