Don Mueang Airport To Operate At Full Capacity Again To Ease Crowding At Suvarnabhumi

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Don Muang airport to operate in full again to ease crowding at Suvarnabhumi

Don Mueang. File photo, source: Wikipedia org

BANGKOK, 28 March 2013 (NNT) - The Airport of Thailand public company has announced that it will allow all airlines to use Don Muang international airport again.

The decision was made by the airport company's board of directors, and will have to be approved by the Cabinet, as 70 per cent of the company's shares are still owned by the government.

The company has revealed that airlines in the One World group, led by Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific airway, has expressed interest in using Don Muang airport.

The airlines group also suggested that Don Muang airport be expanded to allow for giant Airbus A380 aircrafts to land and take off from there.

Don Muang airport is currently operating as an airport for budget airlines. The decision will turn it into a full-service airport.

Bangkok's main international airport, Suvarnabhumi, has the capacity of 45 million passengers per year. Now it is handling over 51 million passengers per year.

The Airport of Thailand expects Don Muang airport to ease the crowding problem at Suvarnabhumi while the country's number one airport is being expanded to allow it to handle 60 million passengers by 2017.

-- NNT 2013-03-28

[Stjohnm]

Always preferred DM to Swampy, but now I live in PraKonong using DMK instead of BKK would be a right pain.

[ratcatcher]

Oh, so now we are going from

1. Close down DM to 2. Open DM to budget airlines and now 3. back to using it for international Airlines.

Has somebody been doing some serious research? This plan will please some travelers and annoy others.

However,personally, although not a traveler, I am glad to see Thailand utilizing both airports effectively.

Good move.

[khwaibah]

Twelve airlines making the splits. Could be interesting.

http://www.oneworld.com/member-airlines/

[Om85]

Good news, I live very, very near, no need to go to suvarnaphumi anymore, I hope

[dcutman]

So it would be safe to assume, DMK and the area surrounding it, wont be flooded again? Or is everybody just hoping it doesn't rain like it did in 2011?

[Ricardo]

This when AOT has already relieved the short-term pressure on Swampy, by encouraging Air Asia and other LCCs to move across to DMK, and supposedly commenced their major expansion of Swampy, with a third runway & more terminal-buildings, due for completion in only another few years ?

Surely they wanted to maintain Swampy as the main airport for Bangkok, is that long-term plan now thrown out, seems very odd.

[DocN]

As much as I welcome DMK back into real business...

a) the flood- theme is a bit troubeling.

b ) there is still no connection between the 2 airports. So arriving at DMK and departing from BKK (or vice versa) will still be risky!

[Thai at Heart]

Surely this will have Air Asia and Nok laughing all the way to the bank. With the prices of TG, what will be the tangible advantage of going to SVB?

[JetsetBkk]

Isn't this what we all said was needed, all those years ago?

[GrantSmith]

Twelve airlines making the splits. Could be interesting.

http://www.oneworld.com/member-airlines/

How do you arrive at 12 airlines making the split?

Of the current "member" airlines only 7 of them fly to BKK, however if you add in QR (Qatar) and UL (SriLankan) - as these 2 airlines will eventually find their way into One World - you get 9.

[belg]

expand DM airport and make suvi a military base, so i can have some more sleep @ night

[chainarong]

To many tourists

[challenger99]

If Don Muang airport should becme an successful airport so the BTS should urgently service direct as Subvarnabhumi ... until now to go to Don Muang isn't pleasant. There is only taxi as soon you use bus it is very tiresome with big luggage and also climb the stairs (no elevator or escalator on bus station side)

Edited March 28, 2013 by endure
Font

[Zpete]

From DM you will be able to get trains to where ever.
Swampy is a hassle in that respect, altho' the new rail connects one to main station.

[ChrisY1]

Quite poor planning again....spend squillions on Swampy and now it's unable to cope.....after being open for only a few years or so.....

I'll be hoping there's no late or early flights departing.....we used to have the house rattle at Kaset

[Soi Sauce]

Let's piss off twice as many residents. Good idea.

And what about the poor souls who had to relocate to Swampy due to work the first time?

I doubt the current gov. could run a red shirt rally.

[ginjag]

As much as I welcome DMK back into real business...

a) the flood- theme is a bit troubeling.

b ) there is still no connection between the 2 airports. So arriving at DMK and departing from BKK (or vice versa) will still be risky!

Yes for a HUB Sh#t connection----TaT are you looking at my post ???

[ginjag]

As much as I welcome DMK back into real business...

a) the flood- theme is a bit troubeling.

b ) there is still no connection between the 2 airports. So arriving at DMK and departing from BKK (or vice versa) will still be risky!

Yes for a HUB Sh#t connection----TaT are you looking at my post ???

I am praying that one of these International airlines from DMK will go to Manchester. brill link then UDON-DMK to MAN

[thomash]

Well they need to set up some decent transportation system to get there then but of course the Thai way is to act or not act first then think about it or not think about it later.

[Misterwhisper]

What a typical circus:

1. DM must be closed down for good, because Bangkok doesn't need a second airport; Swampy is more than enough to handle everything - and also lends us the most face.

2. All airlines must move to Swampy, no matter how much they protest and which reasonable claims they bring forward to keep DM at least partially operational.

3. Ooops, turns out that Swampy has reached its designated capacity shortly after opening; hence DM is to be re-opened, but only for freight and certain charter flights.

4. Oopps, there are still too many flights in and out of Swampy; simply order all budget airlines to move back to DM at their own cost, despite their protests that they just a few months previously have been told to move to Swampy - and pronto.

5. Ooops, someone at AOT has thought too much and found it prudent that it's detrimental to the country's image if airlines associated with Thailand (i.e. Thai Air Asia, Bangkok Air and Nok Air) use that old DM airport, hence order them to move back to Swampy again, despite the fact that the airport by now is already exceeding its capacity. There's nothing more constructive than good 'ole face-saving. Oh, and let them pay for that expensive move, of course.

6. Ooops, looks like swampy is definitely bursting at the seams, so let's do some brain-storming again... why not put DM back into full service...? Perhaps we should order some airlines to move back to DM - at their own cost, of course. Which ones shall it be? Let's throw some dice or pull straws.

I wonder how this saga is going to end.

[muttley]

Let's piss off twice as many residents. Good idea.

And what about the poor souls who had to relocate to Swampy due to work the first time?

I doubt the current gov. could run a red shirt rally.

Sorry to upset your "I doubt the current gov. could run a red shirt rally" rant

The Airport of Thailand public company has announced that it will allow all airlines to use Don Muang international airport again.

The decision was made by the airport company's board of directors, and will have to be approved by the Cabinet

[philw]

Let's piss off twice as many residents. Good idea.

And what about the poor souls who had to relocate to Swampy due to work the first time?

I doubt the current gov. could run a red shirt rally.

Sorry to upset your "I doubt the current gov. could run a red shirt rally" rant

>The Airport of Thailand public company has announced that it will allow all airlines to use Don Muang international airport again.

The decision was made by the airport company's board of directors, and will have to be approved by the Cabinet

Stop it !!.........

It won't be long on this thread before the fact of increased tourism arrivals, the travel needs of foreign investors ( them pesky Chinese car makers), the growth of the economy, relative political and economic stability etc, will be excused as the only need to re-open and improve DM is to help the mass purchase of whitening cream for the PM...........

Personally, I always enjoyed DM and have fond memories of a massage place in the car park...........

[PoodMaiDai]

Well then, it is settled. Survarnabhumi was well planned out as everything else around here was. Looking forward to Bangkok's inevitable 3rd airport.

[Halion]

From an enviromental point of view DM is not a suitable location for several factors.

• Limited transportation
• Traffic congestion
• Potential for seasonal flooding
• Located in a highly built up area
• Noise pollution
• Increased Atmospheric pollution within a highly residential area.

The International airport(BKK) is a national disgrace from the initial procuremnt of the land through out the design and construction phases to the inept opertional management. Furthermore, road transportation is still by far the most utilized means of access in a city world famous for it's gridlocked traffic. They just keep on shooting themselves in the foot. It would be better for all if they shot themselves in the head.. Maybe not, the bullet would most probably pass clean through and injure an inocent bystander.

[UbonOz]

What a typical circus:

1. DM must be closed down for good, because Bangkok doesn't need a second airport; Swampy is more than enough to handle everything - and also lends us the most face.

2. All airlines must move to Swampy, no matter how much they protest and which reasonable claims they bring forward to keep DM at least partially operational.

3. Ooops, turns out that Swampy has reached its designated capacity shortly after opening; hence DM is to be re-opened, but only for freight and certain charter flights.

4. Oopps, there are still too many flights in and out of Swampy; simply order all budget airlines to move back to DM at their own cost, despite their protests that they just a few months previously have been told to move to Swampy - and pronto.

5. Ooops, someone at AOT has thought too much and found it prudent that it's detrimental to the country's image if airlines associated with Thailand (i.e. Thai Air Asia, Bangkok Air and Nok Air) use that old DM airport, hence order them to move back to Swampy again, despite the fact that the airport by now is already exceeding its capacity. There's nothing more constructive than good 'ole face-saving. Oh, and let them pay for that expensive move, of course.

6. Ooops, looks like swampy is definitely bursting at the seams, so let's do some brain-storming again... why not put DM back into full service...? Perhaps we should order some airlines to move back to DM - at their own cost, of course. Which ones shall it be? Let's throw some dice or pull straws.

I wonder how this saga is going to end.

Why not build a third airport, when it is full build a fourth and so on. Edited March 28, 2013 by UbonOz

[Arkady]

So it would be safe to assume, DMK and the area surrounding it, wont be flooded again? Or is everybody just hoping it doesn't rain like it did in 2011?

Is it safe to assume that Swampy won't be flooded in future?

How safe is DMK after it was flooded - the runways and the structures? It was already very old with numerous gerry built extensions when it was flooded and probably due to be put to rest after that.

Why was Swampy planned with such a low capacity that it would be absorbed within 10 years?

How safe is Swampy - the runways, the structures? There was massive corruption and Thaksin lost his temper over its failure to get international certification and had it opened anyway, just before he fled the scene.

Why were airlines forced to relocated to Swampy and then back again?

[ginjag]

Well then, it is settled. Survarnabhumi was well planned out as everything else around here was. Looking forward to Bangkok's inevitable 3rd airport.

Yes get Uthapao Sattahip geered up ready for the overflow. and for diverted flights due to runway cracks BKK and flooding DMK----couldn't run a bloody raffle.

[LALes]

DM is a pain in the ass from Pattaya. Swampy has been great. Direct bus service from Jomtien

or Pattaya. Air link from Bangkok. Piece of cake.

Xxxx, you can't even get to DM from Bangkok without a taxi. Are they going to start

the busses to Bangkok again?

Edited March 28, 2013 by metisdead

[LALes]

U Thapao makes the most sense for Pattaya folk.