Suvarnabhumi Airport Set To Open On Sept 28

[Johpa]

Wow, you better check it out quick, it won't be long before that site is shut down.

They can't shut it down, the server is in Texas All they can do is block it in Thailand

Always glad to see a Thai who feels outraged at the rape and pillaging of his country.

Chaiyo!

[sriracha john]

As per above post, here's MORE raping and pillaging to get irate with:

AIRPORT LINK CRACKS IN RAILWAY SUPPORT COLUMNS

Two pillars must be replaced

Two of 14 problematic concrete support pillars for the Airport Link elevated railway have been ordered demolished and rebuilt after being found sub-standard. Cracks have also been found in some of the beams. Two hundred and twelve pillars have been erected of the 889 needed to carry the 28km elevated railway that will link Suvarnabhumi airport and the inner city. The Transport Ministry found nine of them had hairline cracks, three columns had bigger cracks which need closer examination and two had air bubbles. Poor curing of the concrete had allowed water in the cement mix to vaporise before the concrete hardened and that caused the air bubbles. Some beam segments were also found to be cracked because too much tension was applied to steel cables used to assemble segmental beams.

Continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/27Jun2006_news03.php

[sriracha john]

Concrete pillars which will support the 28 km Airport Link elevated railway march toward Suvarnabhumi airport. Two of the pillars were ordered demolished after air bubbles were found in them. Others have cracks.

— BP

[PeaceBlondie]

Concrete pillars which will support the 28 km Airport Link elevated railway march toward Suvarnabhumi airport. Two of the pillars were ordered demolished after air bubbles were found in them. Others have cracks.

— BP

Perhaps that boy on the bicycle can get you to the airport more safely.

[TBWG]

Concrete pillars which will support the 28 km Airport Link elevated railway march toward Suvarnabhumi airport. Two of the pillars were ordered demolished after air bubbles were found in them. Others have cracks.

— BP

Hi

Not only the airport link in trouble...see below

SKYTRAIN

Thonburi line opening set for next June

The opening of the 2.2km extension of the BTS skytrain from Taksin station across the Chao Phraya river to Thonburi has been put back until June next year because of delays in the installation of the signalling system.

Apirat Sivapornpitak, director of the city's traffic and transport office, said the Bangkok Metoropilitan Administration (BMA) was still negotiating with Alcatel (Thailand) for a lower price. The agreement was expected to be finalised within two weeks.

It would then go to Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayodhin for approval.

The BMA on June 15 opened tenders from Alcatel and Siemens of Germany to supply equipment for the signalling system, for which the BMA has allocated 1.29 billion baht.

Alcatel's quote was 1,166,987,641 baht, and Siemens' was 1,288,135,240 baht _ both excluding value added tax.

He said if everything went as planned, the signals would be ready by the end of this year. The laying of tracks and building of the stations was to be completed in September.

Mr Apirat said the completed Thonburi-bound skytrain extension would then need to be test-run for six months and should be ready for its official opening in June next year.

Oh Dear

TBWG

[phazey]

Can't wait for Suvarnabhumi to open tbh. From the front of the terminal building to my place is < 20 minutes.

As for the Don Maung site - they should put a golf course on it...........

[Axel]

...As for the Don Maung site - they should put a golf course on it...........

WHAT? Another one?

[penzman]

And tear up the nice green turf once they've changed their minds again so they can relocate local flights over to Don Muang once the "face saving" show is over at Suvarnabhumi ?

[VTR1000]

This from Thai's website - 1st flights next month then.

THAI Operates Commercial Flights to Suvarnabhumi

Thai Airways International Public Company Limited will operate the first commercial flights to Suvarnabhumi Airport on 29th July 2006.

Mr. Vasing Kittikul, THAI’s Executive Vice President for Commercial said that Airports of Thailand Public Company Limited (AOT) will allow some domestic flights to land at Suvarnabhumi Airport on July 29th 2006, including three flights operated by THAI as follows:

Special flight TG1881 on the route Suvarnabhumi – Phuket: Depart Suvarnabhumi at 09.19 hrs. and arrive at Phuket at 10.39 hrs. , utilizing Boeing 747-400 aircraft.

Special flight TG1882 on the route Phuket – Suvarnabhumi: Depart Phuket at 11.29hrs. and arrive at Suvarnabhumi at 12.59hrs. , utilizing Boeing 747-400 aircraft

TG2772 on the route Chiang Mai – Suvarnabhumi – Phuket: Depart Chiang Mai at 11.19hrs. Arrive at Suvarnabhumi at 12.29hrs. Depart Suvarnabhumi at 13.29hrs. Arrive at Phuket at 14.49hrs.

As it is a good opportunity for passengers and the general public to experience the services at Suvarnabhumi Airport, Thailand’s newest airport and the pride of all Thais, tickets for THAI’s flights as above are available for purchase at special prices. For more information and reservation, passengers may contact THAI’s 24-hour reservation number at tel. 0-2356-1111or 0-2628-2000.

[cclub75]

This from Thai's website - 1st flights next month then.

You seem impressed.

3 flights from Thai Airways on july the 29. And after ?

More interesting is the lastest report of AFP, that was denied by Transport minister (of course) who was fast to charge foreign countries (of course)...

At worst, opening could be first quarter next year...

http://www.todayonline.com/articles/127092.asp

[Maejo Man]

They seem to be getting a little touchy about the opening now

Pongsak denies change in airport opening date

Caretaker Transport Minister Pongsak Raktapongpaisal has scoffed at foreign news reports casting doubts on whether Suvarnabhumi airport will open for commercial flights on Sept 28 as scheduled.

Sources quoted in the reports had a hidden agenda, he said during a visit to the airport earlier today.

The latest story casting a negative light on the 155-billion-baht airport was carried by AFP news agency on Tuesday and printed in some Thai-language newspapers.

It quoted analysts and airlines questioning whether the airport would be able to open on time. They particularly cited delays in the testing of computer systems.

The minister insisted the opening would not be pushed back.

Reports of this nature were apparently aimed at attacking the airport, which would be a strong competitor in the international aviation business in Southeast Asia. Mr Pongsak said he expected more negative reports as the opening drew near.

``If it does not open as scheduled, Thailand would bear the brunt of the delay because it has funnelled a huge budget into the project to make the airport a regional aviation hub,'' he said.

With its prime location in the centre of mainland Southeast Asia, it would have an edge over other airports in the region, providing ready links to other Mekong river countries and China.

Mr Pongsak said countries trying to put airlines off using the new airport were behind efforts to put a negative slant on the project.

The airport had been running tests since Sept 29 last year and the recent inspection showed satisfactory results. Aviation communications were in place, including the navigation system, and facilities such as the luggage conveyor and check-in systems were completely ready for service.

The new airport might face some technical troubles when it opens, but that was common to all new airports, he said.

Domestic and budget services operated by six airlines will make test flights in and out of Suvarnabhumi on July 29.

bkk post today

[sriracha john]

International test flight to Suvarnabhumi Airport set for September 1

Thai Airways International Plc (THAI) has confirmed it will schedule an inaugural international flight to Suvarnabhumi Airport on Sept 1.

Caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said after a meeting with the airport management committee that there would be up to 30 airlines participating in the domestic test flights set for next Saturday. He said 20 airlines had already confirmed the test flights.

Thaksin said he was confident the new airport would be open and ready to receive its first official flights on Sept 28 after receiving a report from the airport committee.

"I am very confident that the new airport will inaugurate its services on schedule," he said.

He said that according to the report, there are only minor problems remaining , and these are in some of the air-conditioning and utility systems, which can be resolved by further testing.

Regarding the mass-transit system linking the new airport to Bangkok, Thaksin said the government had plans in place until the electric rail routes are completed.

tuk-tuks?

He said all the airlines and related agencies should not have any problems in moving to the new airport.

Srisook Chandrangsu, Airports of Thailand Plc chairman, said the International Civil Aviation Organisation sets airport standards but is not the body responsible for certifying they are met. Suvarnabhumi meets the standards, according to his inspectors, he said.

well then, if he says so, it MUST be good to go.

Suvarnabhumi Airport director, Somchai Sawasdeepon, said the airport has complete insurance cover for passengers on board aircraft and in the passenger terminal.

and will pay full compensation for all probable fatalities connected to the new airport.

The Nation

Publication Date: 23-07-2006

[ovenman]

Regarding the mass-transit system linking the new airport to Bangkok, Thaksin said the government had plans in place until the electric rail routes are completed.

tuk-tuks?

I had heard some rumours about using the little green mini-buses that ply the streets of Bangkok.

[xbusman]

You know, this is not funny anymore. They are really going to force this thing to save face before the election despite the excellent opportunity for catastrophe. They are so far from being completed that if they actually open the airport it will severly hamper the work needed to get it done, it could go on for years as a developing disaster. Its a real through the looking glass moment.

[Netfan]

Interesting article in Firday's BP (21/7) biz section. Interview with COO of Cathy Pacific. Just a quote: "I'm sure AoT and the Thai government are aware of the importance of the opening going well. It will be extrremely embarrassing and could create a very bad image for the country".

Very diplomatic. The rest of the article is about the lack of transparency in the 35% hike in service fees the AoT is going to charge airlines...

[Maejo Man]

Silly me ....and I thought the new airport would cater for all projected traffic

AVIATION / SUVARNABHUMI AIRPORT

Budget terminal designed

BOONSONG KOSITCHOTETHANA

Airports of Thailand Plc (AoT) is quickly gearing up to build a special terminal for budget airlines _ an idea first floated just one month ago _ at Suvarnabhumi International Airport.

Management has completed the conceptual design and will seek approval within two weeks from the AoT board to start construction on the terminal.

It would be the third in Asia to serve the fast growing low-cost carrier (LCC) market, after those in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. The facility could be built in just six months at an estimated cost of 600 million baht, AoT president Chotisak Asapaviriya said yesterday.

Welcomed by no-frills carriers, the facility would be a single storey with usable space of 15,000 to 20,000 square metres, the size of 2.3 to three standard football pitches.

It would be capable of handling 15 million passengers a year, much larger than Malaysia's LCC Terminal (LCCT) and Singapore's Budget Terminal, both opened earlier this year, which can handle 10 million and 2.7 million passengers a year, respectively.

The facility would be located near concourse A of the main Suvarnabhumi passenger terminal and would be built using a simple construction technique.

AoT would attempt a design that would blend with the futuristic look of the overall airport, Mr Chotisak said.

He brushed aside suggestions that AoT had rushed into the LCC terminal to benefit a certain budget carrier with political influence.

The airport operator, he said, was moving rapidly to accommodate the fast-growing traffic of LCCs through Bangkok as well as ease the demand on the main terminal at Suvarnabhumi.

LCC traffic is expected to double from 7-8 million passengers this year to 15 million in the next two years, he said.

Transport authorities and aviation experts say the capacity of Suvarnabhumi's main terminal, at 45 million passengers a year, would be reached a few years after its opening, now slated for Sept 28.

Growing LCC traffic has already contributed to congestion at the existing Bangkok International Airport (Don Muang) which is stretched beyond its annual capacity of 37 million passengers.

Mr Chotisak said the original plan of the 125-billion-baht Suvarnabhumi airport did not take into account LCCs, which have emerged from nowhere over the last five years.

No-frills carriers, he said, did not require sophisticated reservation and IT systems such as those put in place for conventional airlines at the main terminal. As a result, they could keep their operating costs low by using a special terminal without the complex and costly facilities.

However, AoT said there would be no discounts on landing fees for LCCs as it was determined to apply a unified rate structure for all users of Suvarnabhumi.

The Suvarnabhumi budget terminal will have a similar operating concept as those in Malaysia and Singapore, in that passenger service facilities will be kept to a minimum with passengers having to walk on the tarmac to the aircraft.

bangkok post today

[sriracha john]

The facility could be built in just six months at an estimated cost of 600 million baht, AoT president Chotisak Asapaviriya said yesterday.

The facility would be located near concourse A of the main Suvarnabhumi passenger terminal and would be built using a simple construction technique.

AoT would attempt a design that would blend with the futuristic look of the overall airport, Mr Chotisak said.

Word on the street is that the design will be copied from TV's own Udon's profile photo.

[Meerkat]

Interesting article in Firday's BP (21/7) biz section. Interview with COO of Cathy Pacific. Just a quote: "I'm sure AoT and the Thai government are aware of the importance of the opening going well. It will be extrremely embarrassing and could create a very bad image for the country".

That's actually a tad rich coming specifically from CX, seeing as the opening of Chek Lap Kok in HK in '98 was an unmitigated catastrophe. It took weeks to get all the problems ironed out; I remember news reports of cargo being left to rot because the automated movers weren't working, the plumbing system causing most toilets to be blocked, and no flight information boards as the software crashed. Since then, it just seems to keep on being awarded "Airport of the Year" awards...

Of course they'll be teething issues - I actually think the idea to do the (albeit small) "live" test-run at the end of this month shows a level of common-sense many on these boards would never grace the authorites with having.

[sriracha john]

And.... as the corruption at the new airport already surpasses even the most cynical of suppositions, there's... more corruption:

Airport waste deal 'suspect'

More allegations were raised yesterday of irregularities at the new Suvarnabhumi Airport.

The Democrat Party claimed cronyism was behind a telecommunications company winning a lucrative deal to dispose of waste.

The party alleged the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) had opposed the building of a waste-disposal and treatment plant at the airport.

Democrat anti-corruption crusader Alongkorn Pollabutr said he planned to demand answers from Airports of Thailand Plc (AoT).

Alongkorn alleged there were irregularities behind a Samart Corp-led consortium winning a Bt566-million contract to dispose of waste from the new airport. Two other companies in the consortium are Professional Waste Technology Plc and Siam Waste Management Consultant Co Ltd.

Alongkorn questioned how Samart, with no experience in handling waste disposal and treatment, could secure the contract.

There were questions hanging over the plant, too. Alongkorn claimed the ICAO, which has been an adviser to the AoT, was against the plant's construction.

In addition, the terms of the contract were suspicious, the party asserted. It required AoT to pay compensation to the consortium if the airport failed to generate 40 metric tons of waste each day.

Alongkorn suggested the consortium had close ties to the Wongsawat family.

Somchai Wongsawat is a brother-in-law of caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and chaired a committee that appointed AoT executives.

He noted the same consortium won several information-technology projects from the Justice Ministry and Survarnabhumi Airport between 2004 and 2006.

Some executives of the consortium were former board members of Shin Corp, he added.

Last year, the consortium helped to purchase 20 million shares from a Wongsawat family media company.

The Democrats asserted AoT and the government refused to co-operate with investigations of allegedly suspicious Suvarnabhumi airport deals.

- TN

[Meerkat]

Silly me ....and I thought the new airport would cater for all projected traffic

AVIATION / SUVARNABHUMI AIRPORT

Budget terminal designed

BOONSONG KOSITCHOTETHANA

Airports of Thailand Plc (AoT) is quickly gearing up to build a special terminal for budget airlines _ an idea first floated just one month ago _ at Suvarnabhumi International Airport.

However, AoT said there would be no discounts on landing fees for LCCs as it was determined to apply a unified rate structure for all users of Suvarnabhumi.

Not too sure about the wisdom of this, however. Singapore's Budget Terminal hasn't been much of a success IIRC, with Tiger being the only airline using it. Landing fees are the same as in the main terminals, with only a small reduction in passenger service costs.

What incentive would airlines receive for using a terminal with worse infrastructure if the price is the same as in the main one?

[Maestro]

Thai Airways International Plc (THAI) has confirmed it will schedule an inaugural international flight to Suvarnabhumi Airport on Sept 1.

Caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said after a meeting with the airport management committee that there would be up to 30 airlines participating in the domestic test flights set for next Saturday. He said 20 airlines had already confirmed the test flights.

Thaksin said he was confident the new airport would be open and ready to receive its first official flights on Sept 28 after receiving a report from the airport committee.

The Nation

Publication Date: 23-07-2006

Slowly, I am beginning to see more clearly in this jungle of dates. Until a moment ago I always thought that 28 Sept. was the date for the test flights; now I see these test flights will take place already next Saturday, but are there really 30 airlines doing domestic flights? A misquote by the Nation, perhaps? The TN article quoted in post #1 speaks of 6 airlines.

---------------

Maestro

[Meerkat]

Slowly, I am beginning to see more clearly in this jungle of dates. Until a moment ago I always thought that 28 Sept. was the date for the test flights; now I see these test flights will take place already next Saturday, but are there really 30 airlines doing domestic flights? A misquote by the Nation, perhaps? The TN article quoted in post #1 speaks of 6 airlines.

---------------

Maestro

I think it was a misprint. As far as I can work out:

1. Test flights for 3 domestic airlines this week.

2. A single international test on September 1st.

3. Full service starts September 28th.

But it's a moving market...

[sriracha john]

Thai Airways International Plc (THAI) has confirmed it will schedule an inaugural international flight to Suvarnabhumi Airport on Sept 1.

Caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said after a meeting with the airport management committee that there would be up to 30 airlines participating in the domestic test flights set for next Saturday. He said 20 airlines had already confirmed the test flights.

Thaksin said he was confident the new airport would be open and ready to receive its first official flights on Sept 28 after receiving a report from the airport committee.

The Nation

Publication Date: 23-07-2006

Slowly, I am beginning to see more clearly in this jungle of dates. Until a moment ago I always thought that 28 Sept. was the date for the test flights; now I see these test flights will take place already next Saturday, but are there really 30 airlines doing domestic flights? A misquote by the Nation, perhaps? The TN article quoted in post #1 speaks of 6 airlines.

---------------

Maestro

You have to consider the source.... not the Nation, but the person they reported on. It's always grand-er and sounds more spectacul-ar to inflate numbers. And to speak so authoritatively and so confident everything will occur on schedule.....

Sheesh...30 airlines flying domestic???

Is this the person that Thailand really wants to be its leader???

[Maestro]

And to speak so authoritatively and so confident everything will occur on schedule.....

Is this the person that Thailand really wants to be its leader???

It is a science to read correctly between the lines of what a politician – any politician, not just the Thai government’s CEO – says. When a politician says he is “confident” that a certain task will be accomplished by a certain date you can lay your bet on that target being overrun, and nine times out of ten you will win.

--------------

Maestro

[Maejo Man]

Now we have the old "are we insured" treatment

INAUGURAL FLIGHTS

AOT leaves new airport buildings uninsured

Suvarnabhumi Airport may not be covered for the test flights which take place next week

Airports of Thailand (AOT) has not yet taken out any insurance coverage for Suvarnabhumi Airport, despite its first "commercial" flights taking place on July 29, say sources.

The ITO Consortium, the new airport's contractor, has paid for the only insurance thus far, and that covers only the period of construction.

Dhipaya Insurance and ITO recently sent letters to AOT warning the company that Suvarnabhumi Airport needs property insurance to cover any damage that may occur from third-party contractors, such as those hired by airline companies and work inside the airport but are not covered by ITO's insurance. The sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that when the airport opens for the first "commercial" flights on July 29, it would require general liability insurance.

"It's very worrying. For instance, if on the opening date a passenger lights a cigarette and something happens, the contractor's insurance wouldn't cover that, because it is no longer within the construction period. The commercial flights have begun," said the sources.

AOT has argued that the flights planned for that day are test runs and do not constitute commercial flights, and thus the contractor's insurance should cover any accidents that may occur.

However, AOT's official press statement, released on June 20 and still available on its website at www.airportthai.co.th, referred to the scheduled flights by Thai Airways International and five other local airlines on July 29 as "the first commercial flights".

The source said Dhipaya and international reinsurers inspected the new airport on June 7 and submitted a letter on July 13 proposing insurance fees and quotes, but AOT has not yet replied.

An executive with Dhipaya, which is partially state-owned, said airlines would provide insurance for their passengers, and as for the airport itself, the contractor had not yet completed and handed over the assets to AOT.

"The issues are whether the July 29 flights are commercial, and if there were an accident, who would bear responsibility, AOT or ITO?"

Some foreign experts say the July 29 flights should be treated as a routine commercial run, since the airlines are collecting fares from the passengers. But AOT insists that these are test flights, because all revenues derived from them will be donated to His Majesty the King, says the Dhipaya executive.

"Dhipaya is hiring a foreign expert to study the issue, and we're optimistic it will be resolved by July 29," said the executive.

AOT executives did not return calls from The Nation.

Thai Airways plans two flights on July 29: one from Don Muang Airport to Suvarnabhumi for Bt999 and the other from Chiang Mai to Suvarnabhumi and then on to Phuket for Bt2,999. Five other airlines will also fly on that day: Nok Air, Thai AirAsia, Orient Thai, PB Air and Bangkok Airways.

Pichaya Changsorn,

Watcharapong Thongrung

The Nation

[Maejo Man]

Airport has 'high risk' areas

Int'l civil aviation body questions its readiness

AMORNRAT MAHITTHIROOK & SARITDET MARUKATAT

The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has questioned the readiness of Suvarnabhumi airport for its official opening on Sept 28.

The ICAO report, based on its information collected and observations made between last month and early this month, identifies 29 high-risk areas - or about one-third of the 93 items on its checklist.

Forty-three are rated as medium-risk and the rest low-risk.

It defines a high-risk item as one which "will most probably not be possible to resolve" before the opening date and could delay the opening plan.

Its report, sent to Airports of Thailand Plc (AoT), a copy of which was obtained by the Bangkok Post, was leaked to the press yesterday ahead of key landing and operation tests for local flights set for tomorrow .

However, Suvarnabhumi airport general manager Somchai Sawasdeepon and caretaker Deputy Transport Minister Chainant Charoensiri yesterday confirmed the readiness of tomorrow's tests when Thai Airways International, Bangkok Airways, Thai AirAsia, One-Two-Go Airlines, Nok Air, and PB Air will service 20 local flights in and out of the new international airport in Samut Prakan's Bang Phli district.

"Everything is ready [for the test flights]," Mr Somchai said.

AoT president Chotisak Asapaviriya refused to comment on the ICAO report, saying he had not seen it yet. Some people were trying to derail attempts to open the 155-billion-baht airport for commercial flights in September, he said.

The group's tactics included releasing false or fabricated information to serve their purpose, said the chief of AoT, an agency under the Transport Ministry overseeing international airports, including Suvarnabhumi.

Mr Somchai and Aviation Department chief Chaisak Angkasuwan said the ICAO report was an internal document used by airport officials to check on the progress of the project.

Both were confident that all problems identified by the United Nations-affiliated agency responsible for airport safety and security would be fixed in time for the official opening.

The report was made by the ICAO for AoT to check-list problems that need to be corrected, Mr Somchai said.

"It's like a warning for us to know which areas need to be improved.

"None of the listed problems are new.

"The report comes out every month for us to evaluate progress, and alert us to emergency issues," he said.

The airport agency also hired an independent firm, FAEZA, to double-check the readiness of all systems, said the Suvarnabhumi airport chief.

Outgoing Senator Chirmsak Pinthong said he was worried about the risks mentioned in the ICAO report, especially with landings taking place at the 155-billion-baht airport tomorrow.

He saw tomorrow's tests as events designed to boost the image of caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

He called on Mr Thaksin to take responsibility should any accident occur after all flight operations, both domestic and international, are moved from Don Muang to the new airport on Sept 28.

Among the high-risk items identified by the ICAO in its report are the "airfield visual aides" including taxiway, apron and airside road signs, lights and markings.

Failure to address them could lead to unsafe ground operations which "may contribute to an aircraft incident or accident", the report says.

Other identified risks outside the airport's terminal include a high antenna tower at the King Mongkut Institute of Technology's Lat Krabang campus which, the report says, could pose safety risks for planes approaching a runway, inadequate lighting for illuminating obstacles around the airport, insufficient safe areas at runway extremities, and the lack of an effective wildlife hazard control programme.

The institute's tower should be lowered and safe areas at runway ends expanded, according to the report.

Problems inside the building were identified as the baggage handling system and preparations for emergency situations, especially the fire alarm system.

Suvarnabhumi is being run under a temporary certificate issued by the Aviation Department.

It needs a permanent one approved by the ICAO for the Sept 28 opening.

[cclub75]

Why cant' we have a clear information, given by the press, regarding the exact procedure of certification of an international airport ?

The question is : ICAO and IATA can block the opening of Suvarnabhumi on sept 28, yes or no ?

And by opening, does it mean domestic flights and/or international flights.

July 28

Suvarnabhumi is being run under a temporary certificate issued by the Aviation Department.

It needs a permanent one approved by the ICAO for the Sept 28 opening.

June 23

The Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) confirmed yesterday that it is the only agency with the authority to certify the new airport’s safety before it opens.

Chaisak Angkasuwan, the DCA’s director general.

Chaisak said the most common misconception among the public is that the airport needs approval from international organizations such the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) before it can operate.

International aviation experts have also confirmed that the ICAO does not have the authority to certify an airport. Peter Harbison, an expert with the Sydney-based Center for Asia Pacific Aviation, said the ICAO could inspect and comment on the airport but only in an independent capacity.

[taxout]

"Every ICAO Contracting State (Member Nation) is responsible for providing safe and adequate facilities and services within its sovereign territory in accordance with the Chicago Convention. ICAO does not, as yet, undertake a safety assessment of international airports. Since 1 November 2001, ICAO has introduced a new requirement for States to certify their aerodromes open to public use in accordance with the ICAO Annex 14 Volume I specifications and other relevant ICAO specifications and national regulations. ICAO has now been mandated by the 33rd Session of the ICAO Assembly, to carry out safety oversight audits of airports and air traffic services from 2004 in continuation of the successful, on-going Safety Oversight Audit Programme in the fields of Personnel Licensing, Aircraft Operations and Aircraft Airworthiness."

http://www.icao.int/cgi/goto_m.pl?icao/en/...ty_airports.htm

[Netfan]

"Every ICAO Contracting State (Member Nation) is responsible for providing safe and adequate facilities and services within its sovereign territory in accordance with the Chicago Convention.

ICAO does not, as yet, undertake a safety assessment of international airports.

Since 1 November 2001, ICAO has introduced a new requirement for States to certify their aerodromes open to public use in accordance with the ICAO Annex 14 Volume I specifications and other relevant ICAO specifications and national regulations. ICAO has now been mandated by the 33rd Session of the ICAO Assembly, to carry out safety oversight audits of airports and air traffic services from 2004 in continuation of the successful, on-going Safety Oversight Audit Programme in the fields of Personnel Licensing, Aircraft Operations and Aircraft Airworthiness."

http://www.icao.int/cgi/goto_m.pl?icao/en/...ty_airports.htm

So what is the difference between the "airport" and the "aerodrome"?? one has to do with flights only and the other is the building itself? Because the BP story says "Suvarnabhumi is being run under a temporary certificate issued by the Aviation Department. It needs a permanent one approved by the ICAO for the Sept 28 opening." One what? Approval of airport or certification of aerodrome?

[xbusman]

I think the process is such that every country must certify and regulate their own airport. ICAO then audits their certification process and confirms that the "process" meets international standards and also verifies that the government requires the airport to be operated according to local regs which were approved. So it is an oversight agency to both the approval process and that the airport is indeed measured and conforms to required standards set in the approval process.

I wonder what the fall out would actually be if they did not get ICAO certification.