Don Mueang Airport is world's largest low-cost carrier airport

[webfact]

Don Mueang Airport is world's largest LCC airport
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Don Mueang International Airport is officially the world's largest low-cost carrier (LCC) airport, according to the survey by CAPA - Centre for Aviation, with the number of 13.4 million passengers using the airport in the first half of this year.

By the number of passengers, it is larger than Las Vegas McCarren which catered service to 13.3 million passengers in the same period.

Ranked third is Kuala Lumpur, which catered services to 12.6 million. Kuala Lumpur is the hub of Malaysia-based AirAsia, while Don Mueang is the operating base of several airlines chiefly Thai AirAsia and Nok Air.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/Don-Mueang-Airport-is-worlds-largest-LCC-airport-30268834.html


-- The Nation 2015-09-15

[ratcatcher]

Whoopee.!!!!!!

[spidermike007]

Las Vegas is not exactly a low cost carrier airport anymore. The US airlines are getting away with charging extraordinarily high fares for short hop flights. Many of the flights in the 250 to 400 mile range are $300 or more, round trip. That is almost 11,000 baht. At least we have reasonable flights here. They don't in the US anymore.

Edited September 15, 2015 by spidermike007

[Jimmpy]

Nice to see this.

Good news is always a good thing.

[zaphod reborn]

And Airasia staffs their ticket counters like it's the world's smallest LCC airport. The length of the queue has become ridiculous, and it is at all hours of the day.

[Bulldozer Dawn]

No need for a survey to confirm this. Just take a look at DMs toilets.

[Mole]

And Airasia staffs their ticket counters like it's the world's smallest LCC airport. The length of the queue has become ridiculous, and it is at all hours of the day.

That's because they're encouraging people to book online. So you neanderthals who still needs to buy tickets at the counter can just stay in queue.

[ikke]

When the Chinese began to sing their national Anthem...... sure sounded large...

[Happy Grumpy]

Been there 3-4 times in the last month.

The place is an utter chinkhole.

Needs ripping down and starting again.

[Jip99]

And Airasia staffs their ticket counters like it's the world's smallest LCC airport. The length of the queue has become ridiculous, and it is at all hours of the day.

Actually, it isn't.

After an early flight to Singapore last month I would have agreed with you.

However, I sailed through 2 check ins last week - one international where I walked straight up, and one domestic where I was 3rd in the queue.

Parking remains a bl00dy nightmare!

[Happy Grumpy]

Parking remains a bl00dy nightmare!

That's putting it mildly.

Is the multistory carpark after the main terminals closed? Looks like a massive building site and blocked off.

[RubbaJohnny]

For folks who never visited kupang salalah colombo,vnukovo,darwin etc

Sure D Muang a hole like most third world pubbic transport

[pieeyed]

It is also the longest walk to the fffff airport if you want to park your car in the world

[webfact]

LOW-COST-CARRIER
Don Mueang is world's busiest LCC
SUCHAT SRITAMA
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- Don Mueang International is the world's busiest low-cost-carrier (LCC) airport in terms of passenger traffic, ahead of Las Vegas and Kuala Lumpur, according to the Centre for Asia-Pacific Aviation (CAPA).

Expecting a bright future for the airport, Malaysia-based AirAsia Group yesterday expressed interest in investing in an aircraft parking bay at Don Mueang, while several other budget airlines plan to spread their wings into Thailand in the final quarter of the year.

Nitinai Sirismatthakarn, president of Airports of Thailand (AOT), operator of six international airports, said Don Mueang served 22.5 million passengers between January and August although the airport's official capacity is 18.5 million per year.

He said the CAPA Centre for Aviation, which is based in Australia, had earlier put the number of passenger travelling with LCCs via Don Mueang Airport at 13.4 million during the first six months of this year, but actually the airport served 14.4 million passengers during the first half.

The aviation centre also marked Bangkok's Don Mueang as the world's busiest LCC airport for the first time.

Don Mueang now serves more LCC passengers than Las Vegas McCarren International Airport in the US (13.3 million in the first half), Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia (12.6 million), Barcelona El Prat Airport in Spain (12 million), and Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Indonesia (12 million).

According to the CAPA, Don Mueang saw passenger traffic surge by 50 per cent between January and June this year. Moreover, Thailand's LCC fleet is expected number 100 by the end of 2015. The country's LCC sector consisted of 87 aircraft as of the end of the first half, up from 74 at the end of 2014.

Nitinai said AOT would reopen its renovated terminal at Don Mueang by the end of November to cope with an expected surge of arrivals during high season. When its capacity is combined with the existing terminal's, the airport will be able to serve up to 30 million passengers per year.

He said at least three new budget airlines from Japan, China and South Korea would begin operating to Don Mueang Airport next quarter.

Currently, major low-cost airlines operating at Don Mueang include Thai Smile, Nok, NookScoot, Thai AirAsia, Thai AirAsia X, and Thai Lion Air.

Tony Fernandez, group chief executive officer of AirAsia Group, said Thailand was a great hub of air travel and Don Mueang had potential to grow further, particularly for budget travellers.

However, he noted that the airport still had limited aircraft parking bays, so AirAsia is interested in investing in such facilities. Therefore, it is needs to discuss the details with AOT.

During the first quarter of this year, AOT earned profit of Bt13.8 billion, almost as much as in the whole of 2014.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Don-Mueang-is-worlds-busiest-LCC-30268848.html


-- The Nation 2015-09-16

[asdecas]

Yet another hub victory for Thailand. Sgt Nop of the RTP will be rushing to the scene to arrest stiletto-armed katoeys, followed by some ritual finger-pointing.

[captspectre]

Been there 3-4 times in the last month.

The place is an utter chinkhole.

Needs ripping down and starting again.

lets see what happens when they FINALLY open terminal one! before all the other carriers got there, NOK air had the place all spruced up and orderly, than the "others" showedup and we have a mess!

[Jip99]

Parking remains a bl00dy nightmare!

That's putting it mildly.

Is the multistory carpark after the main terminals closed? Looks like a massive building site and blocked off.

There is a mult-storey car park on the left that we used last month but earlier in the year I was led to a car park on the right by a security guy on his motorcy.

Both were about 700m or more from the main terminal building.

[Searat7]

The second terminal is opening nearly a year late.....was supposed to open last December !

[flyingdoc]

Excellent news !

[geriatrickid]

And Airasia staffs their ticket counters like it's the world's smallest LCC airport. The length of the queue has become ridiculous, and it is at all hours of the day.

And that is why I haven't flown on that crap airline in over a year. It's pathetic. NOK Air seems to do a better job of it and at least its planes don't have catastrophic issues.

DMK is a shabby airport and even though I am forced to use it, I no longer have the fond memories that I used to have when I was using it back in the 90's. However, Phuket back then wasn't the open cesspool it is now, Bangkok was interesting, Chiang Mai was exotic, and I could afford 5* hotels and first class airfares. Ahh the good ole days Sux to be on a salary freeze and cap...

[vegasphl]

I live in Vegas. Noone here thinks mccarran airport is a LOW COST airport. In the same period, we had 22 million people come thru our airport. Thought you would like to know.

[waldroj]

Not that it really means much - but, one has to wonder if this announcement had anything to do with the fact that the CAPA "LCC Airport Congress Asia 2015" was held in Bangkok a couple of days ago.

[Geordie59]

Good that we have all these flights to choose from.
I'd far rather read that it was the best, the most efficient, the friendliest or some other positive news though.

[maidee]

euh, before many airline companies used swampie, but they kicked them all out for the "high performing, high quality" thai airways

you know that company that also is in RED but the managers still fly around in business class for free

[tajtom]

I cant believe I going to say this it shocks the core of me

But the thai staff at that airport are good YES i know I are also shocked

But its true they even wiped one day overstay and conducted themselves with honour... I will not forget the strapping young man. he will go far up the chain

Unlike his counterparts

God bless

[Dustdevil]

And Airasia staffs their ticket counters like it's the world's smallest LCC airport. The length of the queue has become ridiculous, and it is at all hours of the day.

That's because they're encouraging people to book online. So you neanderthals who still needs to buy tickets at the counter can just stay in queue.

Air Asia's website is useless for making changes and, the last time I used it in Chiang Mai, couldn't even book a ticket online. So I went to a travel agent and they couldn't either, and they were not even able to book by phone thanks to the airline's intransigence. So I had to go to the airport ticket window in person. Here, the saving grace is always the smiling efficiency of the hard-working young women in Chiang Mai's service sector. This was not the first time. On another occasion, unable to change a departure date online with this stupid airline, I went to the airport where, as usual, a smiling young beauty took care of it in about two minutes, maybe less. All testament to the fantastic "good" girls of Chiang Mai -- and a crappy Malaysian company.

[elgordo38]

Parking remains a bl00dy nightmare!

That's putting it mildly.

Is the multistory carpark after the main terminals closed? Looks like a massive building site and blocked off.

There is a mult-storey car park on the left that we used last month but earlier in the year I was led to a car park on the right by a security guy on his motorcy.

Both were about 700m or more from the main terminal building.

Part of their new fitness program.

[FredNL]

So the F1 GP in Bangkok can start in 2016 ???

For years they said Bangkok would have a Formula 1 Grand Prix in 2016...

[Brer Fox]

I used to come in and out of Thailand through DM every six weeks. A year ago I reached a point where I had had enough and now I avoid it like the plague. Air Asia made the decision easier with their deceptive fare structure. DM is a disaster zone especially when departing.

[zaphod reborn]

And Airasia staffs their ticket counters like it's the world's smallest LCC airport. The length of the queue has become ridiculous, and it is at all hours of the day.

That's because they're encouraging people to book online. So you neanderthals who still needs to buy tickets at the counter can just stay in queue.

No, I book online and have to either queue to check in bags, or queue because their online boarding pass system usually results in an error. It has nothing to do with purchasing tickets at the counter. They have a separate counter for purchases. Do you even fly Airasia?