IATA Urges Single Airport For Bangkok

[mrdome]

I say let them keep DM but make a nicer connection to the train stop (it's quite nice taking the real train to Ayuthaya there for 20 baht) but once you have crossed over the highway bridge and down the narrow stairs it gets really bad making your way to the terminal.

[soidog52]

Absolute nonsense. How can a major travel hub such as BKK operate with just one airport..!!

London has 6 airports, New York has 3 and they are not enough.

This guy is an idiot..!!

I am biased as I have made my living for the last 18 years at DMK and continue to do so today. Am I an expert, no way but might know a little bit more about the day to day operations than some of the opinion slingers around here. With no LCC terminal at Swampy and the costs for operators quite high, this leads me to believe that DMK is an option. Why close the oldest still operating airport in Asia? Here are a few little things that go on out there that may be hard to mimic at Swampy:

1. Royal Thai Airforce Base including all the back shops, military housing, training facilities etc. 2. The Royal Flight Department & Royal Terminal (as in the Royal Family). 3. Royal Skyways flight training and maintenance hangar. 4. BAC Flight Training Academy. 5. Thai Airways 7 widebody maintenance facility with all the supporting back shops which is booked 5 years in advance. 6. Mjets Business Aviation Terminal and ground handling. 7. Bangkok Airways heavy maintenance hangar. 8. Police Aviation Department and Hangars. 9. Dept. of Agriculture Aviation Department and Hangars. 10. US Embassy Flight Department. 11. Si Chang Flying Service (Helicopter Operation). 12. SGA Aviation (Cessna Caravan Operation). 13. Nok Air. 14. Orient Thai Airlines. 15. Royal Aviation Museum 16. Thai Aviation Industries Hangar and Avionics Repair Station (performs heavy maintenance checks on Air Asia A320 aircraft). 17. Thai Flying Service. And there are more.

Yea, maybe we should just close the whole farm and move it all to Swampy. Think about it and then Get real.

[ginjag]

Being a retired airline professional with 32 years in the industry,it is hilarious to read some of the comments here.

It's like being back at work at the airport and listening to the moronic comments of passengers again.Morons.

You wouldn't have lasted 32 minutes at any airport let alone 32 years if I was your boss. Your attitude stinks.

Ha Ha -I agree with you T -power, what a clever C -and without giving us his 32 years of expert Know how, on what he thinks, And what is an airline professional????????? bar man at Gatwick, we don't know..........One or two points not covered, Any charter airports here, ????????? so why not.??

Gatwick offers Inter Scheduled-and holiday- charter-along with Stanstead Luton is and always was used for charter-holiday. Thai don't seem to allow the likes of Monarch-Britannia-and the rest,

So coming on to Sattahip-U-topau....the Russians use it for charter, why is that not used for separate International arrivals to serve the Eastern seaboard, and Chiang Mai-Udon open them up for International Hubs to serve their regions. There are so many solutions.

Manchester and Birmingham-Gatwick Newcastle Glasgow Dublin all serve flights mainly coming out here. Thailand wants to restrict it's self to 1 airport. Ha Ha......it is like saying lets close all the airports in England and make a more massive on at Heathrow...

You cannot have domestic and International at different airports in Thailand you need them to be connected and to transfer from one to another. I say kick the RTAF out of D.M. relocate them to Korat=Ubon. Get D.M. up and running--for cargo---Charter---VIP----Local Holiday travel,,,lets have choices.

[NxaiPan]

Absolute nonsense. How can a major travel hub such as BKK operate with just one airport..!!

London has 6 airports, New York has 3 and they are not enough.

This guy is an idiot..!!

I am biased as I have made my living for the last 18 years at DMK and continue to do so today. Am I an expert, no way but might know a little bit more about the day to day operations than some of the opinion slingers around here. With no LCC terminal at Swampy and the costs for operators quite high, this leads me to believe that DMK is an option. Why close the oldest still operating airport in Asia? Here are a few little things that go on out there that may be hard to mimic at Swampy:

1. Royal Thai Airforce Base including all the back shops, military housing, training facilities etc. 2. The Royal Flight Department & Royal Terminal (as in the Royal Family). 3. Royal Skyways flight training and maintenance hangar. 4. BAC Flight Training Academy. 5. Thai Airways 7 widebody maintenance facility with all the supporting back shops which is booked 5 years in advance. 6. Mjets Business Aviation Terminal and ground handling. 7. Bangkok Airways heavy maintenance hangar. 8. Police Aviation Department and Hangars. 9. Dept. of Agriculture Aviation Department and Hangars. 10. US Embassy Flight Department. 11. Si Chang Flying Service (Helicopter Operation). 12. SGA Aviation (Cessna Caravan Operation). 13. Nok Air. 14. Orient Thai Airlines. 15. Royal Aviation Museum 16. Thai Aviation Industries Hangar and Avionics Repair Station (performs heavy maintenance checks on Air Asia A320 aircraft). 17. Thai Flying Service. And there are more.

Yea, maybe we should just close the whole farm and move it all to Swampy. Think about it and then Get real.

Great post and nice to see some sense amongst all the inanities.

You know DMK and what's there. With its Vietnam era legacy it seems perfectly set up for the RTAF as a logistics, training and high profile flight centre, also must be a plum posting for RTAF folk (DMK or Korat, hmm tough choice).

Would Nok & Thai Orient be missed? Could DMK be scaled up on the cargo side?

BKK for commercial passengers, AOB at DMK.

[IsaanUSA]

So coming on to Sattahip-U-topau....the Russians use it for charter, why is that not used for separate International arrivals to serve the Eastern seaboard, and Chiang Mai-Udon open them up for International Hubs to serve their regions. There are so many solutions.

Chiang Mai and Phuket are already international airports. What does this have to do with having two airports in Bangkok?

[Thai at Heart]

I say kick the RTAF out of D.M. relocate them to Korat=Ubon. Get D.M. up and running--for cargo---Charter---VIP----Local Holiday travel,,,lets have choices.

Ah, but the Singaporeans/Cambodians/Burmese/Martians might attack Bangkok. Do you honestly see the cream of the Thai Airforce relocating to Isaan?

But then, why not just dust off that aircraft carrier and get it permanently on station in the Gulf? Of course, you can't fit an 18 hole golf course on the deck.

[Thai at Heart]

Absolute nonsense. How can a major travel hub such as BKK operate with just one airport..!!

London has 6 airports, New York has 3 and they are not enough.

This guy is an idiot..!!

I am biased as I have made my living for the last 18 years at DMK and continue to do so today. Am I an expert, no way but might know a little bit more about the day to day operations than some of the opinion slingers around here. With no LCC terminal at Swampy and the costs for operators quite high, this leads me to believe that DMK is an option. Why close the oldest still operating airport in Asia? Here are a few little things that go on out there that may be hard to mimic at Swampy:

1. Royal Thai Airforce Base including all the back shops, military housing, training facilities etc. 2. The Royal Flight Department & Royal Terminal (as in the Royal Family). 3. Royal Skyways flight training and maintenance hangar. 4. BAC Flight Training Academy. 5. Thai Airways 7 widebody maintenance facility with all the supporting back shops which is booked 5 years in advance. 6. Mjets Business Aviation Terminal and ground handling. 7. Bangkok Airways heavy maintenance hangar. 8. Police Aviation Department and Hangars. 9. Dept. of Agriculture Aviation Department and Hangars. 10. US Embassy Flight Department. 11. Si Chang Flying Service (Helicopter Operation). 12. SGA Aviation (Cessna Caravan Operation). 13. Nok Air. 14. Orient Thai Airlines. 15. Royal Aviation Museum 16. Thai Aviation Industries Hangar and Avionics Repair Station (performs heavy maintenance checks on Air Asia A320 aircraft). 17. Thai Flying Service. And there are more.

Yea, maybe we should just close the whole farm and move it all to Swampy. Think about it and then Get real.

Great post and nice to see some sense amongst all the inanities.

You know DMK and what's there. With its Vietnam era legacy it seems perfectly set up for the RTAF as a logistics, training and high profile flight centre, also must be a plum posting for RTAF folk (DMK or Korat, hmm tough choice).

Would Nok & Thai Orient be missed? Could DMK be scaled up on the cargo side?

BKK for commercial passengers, AOB at DMK.

Isn't the cargo already at SVB? Surely all the cargo needs to go to the airport with full domestic and international service?

[ginjag]

So coming on to Sattahip-U-topau....the Russians use it for charter, why is that not used for separate International arrivals to serve the Eastern seaboard, and Chiang Mai-Udon open them up for International Hubs to serve their regions. There are so many solutions.

Chiang Mai and Phuket are already international airports. What does this have to do with having two airports in Bangkok?

The post was NOT about 2 airports really it was saying only use 1-which is stupid. So all planes fly to London and get another one to Manchester--HaHa---why do Emirates, fly in to 6 airports U.K. ????????

Chiang Mai International, technically yes, as in the Phuket version ---Udon is an international airport, BUT when you have the odd international flight here and there it warants it's status, an no one can argue with that.

If you saw what I was driving at and not picking bits out of my post, you would have been aware that International should men that. The said airports I mentioned should be getting flights from long distant points-Europe easing traffic off the swampy, and without the domestic transfers.

D.M. should serve as non scheduled flights -cargo only flights-and charter-domestic holiday types.

So as I said why not have large planes coming in to Chiang mai-Phuket-Udon etc from far places--use the big regional airports take pressure off. and they are there for swampy having problems. If England uses her other city airports why doesn't THAILAND do the same for Long haul.

Surely there is a market for Europe Chiang mai-Phuket-Issan-Sattahip-U-tapou ???

[phiphidon]

Being a retired airline professional with 32 years in the industry,it is hilarious to read some of the comments here.

It's like being back at work at the airport and listening to the moronic comments of passengers again.Morons.

Sounds like you worked for British Airways - Customer Relations perchance?

[JAG]

Being a retired airline professional with 32 years in the industry,it is hilarious to read some of the comments here.

It's like being back at work at the airport and listening to the moronic comments of passengers again.Morons.

Sounds like you worked for British Airways - Customer Relations perchance?

[techboy]

Absolute nonsense. How can a major travel hub such as BKK operate with just one airport..!!

London has 6 airports, New York has 3 and they are not enough.

This guy is an idiot..!!

Either an idiot or has a hidden agenda. The argument regarding comparative costs would need to be verified and the advantage of one vs. two airports is very debatable. Trying to associate strength to an argument by citing verifiable and true facts from something else is as old as the hills. Yes the innundation in Thailand was extreme. Yes car manufacturing has been "shot down." Yes the flood and the Japan tsunami sent out economic "shock waves." Yes the volcanic ash cloud in Europe in 2010 caused widespread unemployment. No I do not believe that this means that a single airport is a good idea. I do not know much about the IATA but have the feeling that Thailand should go real slow with any commitments to them.

[MrMuddle]

We recently and are still in the process of having a flood with international ramifications.

A part of the problem was that land that used to retain some of the water was turned into a airport and a levee built around it.

Now some so called expert is saying to enlarge the airport.

Yes there is a problem with quick and easily attainable transport between the two for tourists who are new to Thailand.

But for many travelers in Thailand DM is ideal. Swampy has interconnecting flights to any where in Thailand. They may be a bit more expensive.

But for the travelers with in Thailand DM is OK and it takes some of the pressure off of that big barn on swampy.

Besides DM could be used for freight and the room it takes up in swampy used for the improved passenger service.

You're talking sense here, for me the best solution is to operate both airports, and finish the rail link between them. I can't help but wonder if the IATA has a few underemployed experts it is trying to find work for.

[endure]

So Don Mueang reverts to being a cargo hub, RTAF station and an emergency alternative for BKK. Not such a bad option.

You forgot the golf course...

[Chupup]

Being a retired airline professional with 32 years in the industry,it is hilarious to read some of the comments here.

It's like being back at work at the airport and listening to the moronic comments of passengers again.Morons.

Spoken like a true Moron !!

[BKK03]

But not as many as are on Thai Visa.

Yes! That is insight. There are many. We often forget.

[Ricardo]

You forgot London City and Luton- If London can support LHR/STN/LCY/LGW/LTN business is business more is better in my opinion

There's also Saaaafend and Biggin Hill which also handles London flights.

No major city in the world can operate on one airport, impossible. The idea of Don Muang should be to house the likes of Air Asia, Nok Air etc. similar to Stansted in London.

It's not rocket surgery..!!!

Not to forget London (Manston) or London (Oxford) !

But one hub, for domestic/international passengers & freight does make sense, it's more convenient for customers, or does that make me another 'moron', thinking about what suits the customers ?

Leave DMK to the RTAF, and spend the money enhancing BKK, why should the LCCs have to operate out of the full-service terminal, when something cheaper is what they really want ?

And relocating the LCC-flights would make available more gates in the full-service existing-terminal, so its eventual-expansion could be deferred for longer, saves money. But reduces brown-envelopes.

Edited December 14, 2011 by Ricardo

[tombkk]

IATA is the International Air Transport Association, not the International Air Travel Association. What else did the Nation get wrong in this article, I wonder.

You cannot discuss in a short article whether DMK should be closed or not. There is more to it than the article says, and either did the IATA representative not have time to go into detail, or the Nation reporter summarized. Seeing that the reporter did not even get the name of the association correctly, I don't think it is wise to say the IATA rep does not know his job. :jap:

[David48]

Absolute nonsense. How can a major travel hub such as BKK operate with just one airport..!!

London has 6 airports, New York has 3 and they are not enough.

This guy is an idiot..!!

I am biased as I have made my living for the last 18 years at DMK and continue to do so today. Am I an expert, no way but might know a little bit more about the day to day operations than some of the opinion slingers around here. With no LCC terminal at Swampy and the costs for operators quite high, this leads me to believe that DMK is an option. Why close the oldest still operating airport in Asia? Here are a few little things that go on out there that may be hard to mimic at Swampy:

1. Royal Thai Airforce Base including all the back shops, military housing, training facilities etc. 2. The Royal Flight Department & Royal Terminal (as in the Royal Family). 3. Royal Skyways flight training and maintenance hangar. 4. BAC Flight Training Academy. 5. Thai Airways 7 widebody maintenance facility with all the supporting back shops which is booked 5 years in advance. 6. Mjets Business Aviation Terminal and ground handling. 7. Bangkok Airways heavy maintenance hangar. 8. Police Aviation Department and Hangars. 9. Dept. of Agriculture Aviation Department and Hangars. 10. US Embassy Flight Department. 11. Si Chang Flying Service (Helicopter Operation). 12. SGA Aviation (Cessna Caravan Operation). 13. Nok Air. 14. Orient Thai Airlines. 15. Royal Aviation Museum 16. Thai Aviation Industries Hangar and Avionics Repair Station (performs heavy maintenance checks on Air Asia A320 aircraft). 17. Thai Flying Service. And there are more.

Yea, maybe we should just close the whole farm and move it all to Swampy. Think about it and then Get real.

Great post and nice to see some sense amongst all the inanities.

You know DMK and what's there. With its Vietnam era legacy it seems perfectly set up for the RTAF as a logistics, training and high profile flight centre, also must be a plum posting for RTAF folk (DMK or Korat, hmm tough choice).

Would Nok & Thai Orient be missed? Could DMK be scaled up on the cargo side?

BKK for commercial passengers, AOB at DMK.

+1 ... I agree with NxaiPan (who also had a good posting on this article).

Well considered post soidog52.

Oh ... NxaiPan, my comments (post #44) about transport intergration were intended that I hope that if they build a LCCT at Swampy the LCCT can link into the current infrastructure that Swampy enjoys with it's Bangkok connections ... my bad wording.

[MrMuddle]

Being a retired airline professional with 32 years in the industry,it is hilarious to read some of the comments here.

It's like being back at work at the airport and listening to the moronic comments of passengers again.Morons.

Spoken like a true Moron !!

Aren't the Morons some kind of religious group ? I'm sure I had a couple of their chaps knock at my door when I lived in the UK. Nice chaps, dark suits, carry briefcases.

[whybother]

Aren't the Morons some kind of religious group ? I'm sure I had a couple of their chaps knock at my door when I lived in the UK. Nice chaps, dark suits, carry briefcases.

They're in Thailand too.

[GaiUan]

Being a retired airline professional with 32 years in the industry,it is hilarious to read some of the comments here.

It's like being back at work at the airport and listening to the moronic comments of passengers again.Morons.

Sounds like you worked for British Airways - Customer Relations perchance?

Agreed... with both

[Balls]

One airport, controlling all traffic to Bangkok will only lead to one airline controlling all traffic to Bangkok.

That airline will control not only all of the traffic, baggage handling but also the people routing. King Power shops ring a bell?

Yes, they will allow other "puppet" airlines to service 'destinations beyond' but the biggest airline will control and fix all prices. There will no "real" competition and therefor no "real" growth. The big money maker will get bigger and there will be no competitive pricing.

If Don Muang is closed and the land sold to real estate developers - of course it would be developed! And properly! This is what they do! You would never see any flooding in that area ever again. The developers would raise up the entire area ten meters as the government should be doing with all of Bangkok.

All it takes is money and long term greed for more and the developers have that. The people of the current and past governments don't look that far ahead - they get wealthy enough for their own families future and retire.

Is Don Muang the only other possible option for an airfield? Can't the government think about building that property up and above sea level?

There used to be a massive US Naval Air Station in Sattahip. Have you seen it recently? What a joke without the almighty US dollar!

Look at Chumphon, Korat and so many other cities with "international" airstrips already built but decaying since their last layer of asphalt was pored.

I shouldn't have to remind anyone that TIT and this is the way that I DOES NOT WORK!

[peergin]

Absolute nonsense. How can a major travel hub such as BKK operate with just one airport..!!

London has 6 airports, New York has 3 and they are not enough.

This guy is an idiot..!!

Are you an expert?

[MrMuddle]

Funny how everybody is still making use of rationality and economics when everybody knows at the same time that none of these notions will be used to take the decision...

You're a sensible chap...............................what on earth are you doing on here?

:cheesy:

[ginjag]

Funny how everybody is still making use of rationality and economics when everybody knows at the same time that none of these notions will be used to take the decision...

You're a sensible chap...............................what on earth are you doing on here?

:cheesy:

Lets build a 3rd airport, they love airports for Bkk--to be DAMP...............so build it in the Ch-Pri river delta, ?????

With this Thai set up it's possible.. as they will always do the opposite to what is needed. Visa runs comes to mind=red shirt government=Aircraft carrier=obsolete submarines=releasing water from dams early enough=man on the run back in power= Idiots

[earmuffs]

Does this mean that Suvarnabhumi is going to close and they're finally going to build the really good airport that Thailand needs to secure the future of its tourism and international trading? I hope so. That airport is unfit for purpose, and don't even mention Don Muang, which should be closed immediately and the land sold for upscale condominiums.

Most ridiculous comment on this board. I have flown Swampy many times and it compares very well to airports around the world.

I also think that the most repeated suggestion of keeping DM as a cargo and Thai air force airport is very reasonable. It also can serve as back up in case of problems at Swampy. All domestic flights should come out of Swampy because of the convenience of connecting with international flights. By keeping DM as the cargo airport it relieves a lot of pressure off Swampy which won't have to be expanded for years.

[whybother]

Does this mean that Suvarnabhumi is going to close and they're finally going to build the really good airport that Thailand needs to secure the future of its tourism and international trading? I hope so. That airport is unfit for purpose, and don't even mention Don Muang, which should be closed immediately and the land sold for upscale condominiums.

Most ridiculous comment on this board. I have flown Swampy many times and it compares very well to airports around the world.

I also think that the most repeated suggestion of keeping DM as a cargo and Thai air force airport is very reasonable. It also can serve as back up in case of problems at Swampy. All domestic flights should come out of Swampy because of the convenience of connecting with international flights. By keeping DM as the cargo airport it relieves a lot of pressure off Swampy which won't have to be expanded for years.

Swampy already needs to be expanded ... given that it will take 5 years for any expansion to come online.

[sparebox2]

Does this mean that Suvarnabhumi is going to close and they're finally going to build the really good airport that Thailand needs to secure the future of its tourism and international trading? I hope so. That airport is unfit for purpose, and don't even mention Don Muang, which should be closed immediately and the land sold for upscale condominiums.

Most ridiculous comment on this board. I have flown Swampy many times and it compares very well to airports around the world.

I also think that the most repeated suggestion of keeping DM as a cargo and Thai air force airport is very reasonable. It also can serve as back up in case of problems at Swampy. All domestic flights should come out of Swampy because of the convenience of connecting with international flights. By keeping DM as the cargo airport it relieves a lot of pressure off Swampy which won't have to be expanded for years.

A train line is being build to connect the 2 airports, as we speak.

[Ricardo]

It's perhaps worth adding that a lot of cargo is moved, not only in dedicated freight-aircraft, but in the holds of wide-bodied passenger-aircraft, along with the hold-baggage of the people sitting upstairs.

So it would not be possible to switch all cargo to DMK. But might be sensible to put all cargo through Swampy. Perhaps the free-market should be allowed to decide ?

[Acemaker]

"We are ready to help the Thai government with airport development if they ask for it.

"We have special experts on airport development as well as renovation," he said.

But not as many as are on Thai Visa.