Interesting Article

[Cheeky Farang]

I have BOLDED the bits that make me smile or were of general interest.

NEW AIRPORT FOR BANGKOK

By Andreas Spaeth

After decades of planning, the new international airport of Suvarnabhumi just outside the capital city of Thailand is set to open at the end of September. In an interview with FLUG REVUE, Srisook Chandrangsu, Chairman of the airports authority of Thailand, AOT, admitted, “No other airport project in the world has taken as long from initial planning through to commissioning as Suvarnabhumi.”

In fact, planning on the marshy ground 32 kilometres to the east of the Thai metropolis began back in 1960. According to Chandrangsu, “At that time 9,000 people lived here in a jungle idyll far from the big city.” The authorities did not acquire the land until the beginning of the 1970s. But in 1973 the project was suspended after the then military regime was toppled. In the mid-1990s it became clear that the old airport of Don Muang would not be able to cope with the rapidly rising passenger numbers for much longer.

Finally, in 1995, work began on draining the marshes known by the name of Cobra Swamp. First of all the inhabitants had to be resettled. Every family which voluntarily gave up its home received about €17,000 in compensation. “99% decided to accept the offer,” Chandrangsu continues. “First of all we erected dykes on the eight kilometre by four kilometre area. Then we linked up individual lakes with canals.” But then the Asian crisis, which lasted several years, forced the work to be suspended once more in 1997.

The most important symbolic step towards reviving the project occurred on 29 September 2000, when King Bhumipol gave the area, which by now had largely dried out, its new name of Suvarnabhumi, which means “golden land”.

“Preparing the loamy soil as a site suitable for development was a challenge for the engineers, as two-thirds of it lay over water.” The water was drawn out using various drainage technologies, but as a result the ground sank by 2 metres in a single year. On the other hand, as the AOT chairman points out to allay the fears of sceptics reminded of sinking Japanese airport islands, “The most it will sink over the next 20 years is ten centimetres.” Finally, on 19 January 2002, the King was able to lay the foundation stone, following which construction work on the airport itself was able to start. But before the first foundations for the new building constructions could be laid, thousands of 27 metre long stakes had to be driven into the soft ground on which all the buildings would rest.

Originally the Thais had planned to build only one runway and capacity for 30 million passengers in the first phase of construction work. But then the IATA persuaded them to build two runways at the same time and to create sufficient capacity to handle an annual volume of 45 million passengers. At a cost of nearly $4 billion, a new airport has now taken shape over the last few years over an area of 32 square kilometres, totally eclipsing competing hubs such as Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.

It will now be opened not a moment too soon, as the old Don Muang airport 25 kilometres to the north of the city centre is bursting at the seams and for some time has had to contend with passenger flows far in excess of its physical capacity ceiling of only 30 million passengers a year. Because of Bangkok's geographical location, its popularity as a travel destination and a strong domestic market, the Thai capital has shot ahead. Last year Don Muang handled 38.9 million passengers; yet only two years earlier it had still been handling only 29.6 million. This makes Bangkok the 18th biggest airport in the world.

79 airlines used to fly regularly to Bangkok, with flights from Germany being offered not only by Lufthansa, Condor and LTU but especially by Thai Airways, with 19 flights per week from Frankfurt and Munich. But recently some European airlines have been trimming back their presence in Don Muang: over the last four years, 13 airlines have withdrawn altogether from Bangkok, primarily due to the high handling charges compared with other hubs in the region. For example, British Airways has moved it hub to Singapore, while Lufthansa has given up its daily flight from Munich since the summer timetable 2006 came into operation. And yet there is going to be a massive increase here with landing fees.

But now, with the brand new Suvarnabhumi airport, Bangkok is hoping to finally take over the lead in the region and to maintain this position for good. Until recently it was uncertain when the airport, burdened with corruption scandals and political intrigues, would actually be open for passenger traffic. The first two aircraft, an Airbus A340-600 and a Boeing 747-400 operated by Thai Airways, carrying the Prime Minister and other VIPs actually landed there on 29 September 2005 to “technically open” the airport for political and prestige reasons.

It is now assumed that the official opening of the airport will take place on 28 September of this year. “As far as we are concerned, the move could have come a lot earlier,” says Peter Trautmann, Chief Operating Officer of Munich airport. For months Munich has had a team of specialists on-site and has overseen dry runs of the new terminal in coping with the smooth relocation to the new airport within a single night. Since Munich airport itself was successfully relocated to Erdinger Moos in 1992, the Bavarians have been regarded world-wide as specialists in this area and have acted as consultants on half a dozen similar projects.

It is not expected to be long before the current capacity of 45 million passengers per year is fully utilised. Hence a lot of the construction machinery will remain on site and be deployed on the next planned phase of expansion comprising a third runway and a satellite terminal building. From the 132 metre control tower, which is the tallest air traffic control tower in the world, the third runway already looks as if it is finished, but in fact what you see is only the foundations. The new runway and the planned satellite building are not expected to be commissioned until 2009.

It is already possible with the existing runway system of two parallel runways 2.2 kilometres apart, which are easy to stagger, to handle 76 flights per hour, a significant increase on the 60 handled by Don Muang. Eventually the two runways will handle as many as 90 flights per hour, rising to over 100 when the third runway becomes operational and ultimately to 120 when the fourth runway planned for the final construction phase is complete. Passenger capacity will then be 100 million per year.

The central, seven-floor terminal designed by star architect Helmut Jahn adjoins the concourses which are shaped like two huge crosses and between them offer 51 aircraft stands right next to the building, five of them suitable for the A380. Another 69 parking bays lie on the other side of the building. This means that many passengers in Suvarnabhumi will have to be bussed across the apron to their aircraft, as in Don Muang at present. Meanwhile IATA is already afraid that there will be bottlenecks at the gates only one year after opening, long before the satellite is ready.

“A shortage of gates could lead to constant delays,” warns David Inglis, IATA specialist on the Suvarnabhumi project. Yet the passenger areas, which total 563,000 square metres of floor space, are already the biggest under a single roof in the world (Hong Kong boasts “only” 510,000 square metres).

The new airport will be particularly important for Thai Airways. “We want to become the leading airline in Asia and establish Bangkok as a truly global hub in Asia,” said Vasing Kittikul, Executive Vice President, Commercial of Thai Airways International, in an interview with FLUG REVUE. For an efficient hub it is essential to keep transfer times to the minimum. At Don Muang these are currently 60 minutes for domestic flights and 75 minutes for international transfer flights. According to Jörg Oppermann, Munich Airport's project manager in Bangkok, the goal is 45 minutes, “and that is achievable too.” Whereas in Don Muang passenger baggage is still loaded only semi-automatically, the entire process will be fully automated in Suvarnabhumi.

Up to now only about 30 percent of passengers using Bangkok airport were transfer passengers, but this is now expected to rise to a minimum of 40 percent. Thai Airways has invested $400 million in Suvarnabhumi, on a cargo and mail centre with a capacity of one million tonnes per year, a catering complex (it was a fire here in February 2006 which caused the relocation to be delayed), a control centre which will be part of a dedicated “Thai City” and a maintenance complex containing southern Asia's biggest hangar, capable of accommodating three A380's at a time. Thai Airways plans to continue to handle the major maintenance events in Don Muang, where it has a workforce of 4,000.

This is one of the reasons why, against the advice of international experts and the IATA, the old airport is to remain open and will also be used by business jets and for military and private charter flights, albeit no longer for commercial airline traffic. “All scheduled airlines, even the low-cost carriers, will have to relocate to Suvarnabhumi,” says AOT Chairman Srisook Chandrangsu. The old terminals are to be used as exhibition halls, amongst other applications.

A lot of the money Thai Airways is investing in its new home base will benefit passengers directly. Premium customers in particular will be offered a better check-in service, they will have their own road approach to the terminal and will then be led into a large premium lounge which will resemble the atmosphere of the lobby of a five-star hotel. Here they will be given refreshments while the formalities are taken care of by the staff. They will then spend the remaining time before departure in comfort in one of the four spacious Thai Royal Orchid Lounges. First-class passengers will be pampered with their own spa including Thai massage, which will be offered in partnership with Oriental Hotels. Arriving First and Business Class customers will for the first time enjoy their own arrival lounge, complete with showers, refreshments and recreation rooms.

However, it is not yet clear whether everything will function as smoothly as the planners hope in Suvarnabhumi. For example, it is expected that there will be bottlenecks at the security checkpoints and in baggage handling. Many airlines and also IATA are concerned at the relatively modest shopping facilities which are far below the breadth of those available at Hong Kong or Singapore. They fear that this will make the expected increase in airport charges even steeper. Officially, AOT has announced an increase of 20 percent. Whereas in Singapore 60 percent of airport revenue comes from non-flight related business, the comparable figure for Don Muang has been only 20 percent, and they are hoping for 40 percent in Suvarnabhumi. In this matter they have been somewhat naive. Contrary to the general trend, goods on sale at the new airport will cost up to 25 percent more than the same items in Bangkok's central shopping centre.

The only way to get to the airport will initially be by road. The main approach is an eight-lane highway from the north which branches off the Bangkok-Chonburi highway. Under normal traffic conditions, it should be possible to get to Suvarnabhumi from the big downtown hotels in about half an hour. An express train service which is currently under construction and is expected to reduce the travel time from Makassan station in the city to the airport to 15 minutes is not expected to be operational before the end of 2007. It is additionally planned to have a city air terminal with check-in facilities, as in Hong Kong, at Makassan station, while there will also be moving walkways, in some cases a kilometre long, to skytrain and underground network connections.

“To provide an airport alone is not enough,” says AOT Chairman Chandrangsu, “Now we have to ensure through our management that Suvarnabhumi remains the hub in this region of the world for good.” Apparently the Thai open sky policy has already eliminated obstacles with countries such as the USA, China and many states in the Middle East. Less progress has been made with Germany, as Lufthansa is opposed to this.

From page 76 of FLUG REVUE 9/2006

[Maestro]

It is now assumed that the official opening of the airport will take place on 28 September of this year. “As far as we are concerned, the move could have come a lot earlier,” says Peter Trautmann, Chief Operating Officer of Munich airport. For months Munich has had a team of specialists on-site and has overseen dry runs of the new terminal in coping with the smooth relocation to the new airport within a single night. Since Munich airport itself was successfully relocated to Erdinger Moos in 1992, the Bavarians have been regarded world-wide as specialists in this area and have acted as consultants on half a dozen similar projects.

Thank you for posting this, Cheeky Farang.

All of a sudden I am less sceptical about the opening date. Nonetheless, at this moment I still believe that my flight arriving in Bangkok on 23 November 2006 will land at Don Muang.

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Maestro

[Cheeky Farang]

It is now assumed that the official opening of the airport will take place on 28 September of this year. “As far as we are concerned, the move could have come a lot earlier,” says Peter Trautmann, Chief Operating Officer of Munich airport. For months Munich has had a team of specialists on-site and has overseen dry runs of the new terminal in coping with the smooth relocation to the new airport within a single night. Since Munich airport itself was successfully relocated to Erdinger Moos in 1992, the Bavarians have been regarded world-wide as specialists in this area and have acted as consultants on half a dozen similar projects.

Thank you for posting this, Cheeky Farang.

All of a sudden I am less sceptical about the opening date. Nonetheless, at this moment I still believe that my flight arriving in Bangkok on 23 November 2006 will land at Don Muang.

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Maestro

Hi Meaestro, I reckon you on a non starter on the 23rd Nov / are you a betting man ? 5 x 1 on a case of chang.

[billp]

The article can be found here by the way.

[IMA_FARANG]

It is now assumed that the official opening of the airport will take place on 28 September of this year. “As far as we are concerned, the move could have come a lot earlier,” says Peter Trautmann, Chief Operating Officer of Munich airport. For months Munich has had a team of specialists on-site and has overseen dry runs of the new terminal in coping with the smooth relocation to the new airport within a single night. Since Munich airport itself was successfully relocated to Erdinger Moos in 1992, the Bavarians have been regarded world-wide as specialists in this area and have acted as consultants on half a dozen similar projects.

Thank you for posting this, Cheeky Farang.

All of a sudden I am less sceptical about the opening date. Nonetheless, at this moment I still believe that my flight arriving in Bangkok on 23 November 2006 will land at Don Muang.

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

Maestro

Hi Meaestro, I reckon you on a non starter on the 23rd Nov / are you a betting man ? 5 x 1 on a case of chang.

So what do you reckon on my TG flight on 3 October from Athens for 0605 landing at the new airport?

All that Thai Inter will say is, "it has been announced that S------- will be open for international traffic on 28 September".

That isn't quite the same thing as CONFIRMING where the flight will land, is it?

Wherever it lands, I'll be on the plane.

P.S. The flight is still in the computer as landing in terminal 1 at Don Muang.

Edited September 6, 2006 by IMA_FARANG

[Maestro]

Hi Meaestro, I reckon you on a non starter on the 23rd Nov / are you a betting man ? 5 x 1 on a case of chang.

I’m not really a betting man. Seem to lose all the time.

Two days ago I would have thought 5 to 1 reasonable odds, but after your post of the article in Flight Review the odds have fallen, to even money, I’d say. Those Bavarians appear to know what they are doing.

Another 21 days and we shall know.

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Maestro

[A_Traveller]

I note the following in the article,

....offer 51 aircraft stands right next to the building, five of them suitable for the A380. Another 69 parking bays lie on the other side of the building. This means that many passengers in Suvarnabhumi will have to be bussed across the apron to their aircraft, as in Don Muang at present. Meanwhile IATA is already afraid that there will be bottlenecks at the gates only one year after opening, long before the satellite is ready. ....

Oh good, glad that they took the time and effort to sort that out.....

[OldAsiaHand]

NEW AIRPORT FOR BANGKOK

By Andreas Spaeth

.....over the last four years, 13 airlines have withdrawn altogether from Bangkok, primarily due to the high handling charges compared with other hubs in the region. For example, British Airways has moved it hub to Singapore, while Lufthansa has given up its daily flight from Munich since the summer timetable 2006 came into operation.

Stupidity coupled with greed is a fearsome combination.

Edited September 7, 2006 by OldAsiaHand

[AlexLah]

I asked the Thai Limo taxi driver last week when their services will be available at the new airport.

He said: 2 November this year.......

Alex