New airport faces partial shutdown

Post by **Norseman** » Mon Dec 25, 2006 2:18 pm

Bangkok Post.

Poor construction at Suvarnabhumi may force parts of the new airport to be shut down for repairs. This would open the way for the recently abandoned Don Muang airport to be re-opened to serve Bangkok's air traffic needs.

Deputy Transport Minister Sansern Wongcha-um said yesterday that following a recent report on the problems facing Suvarnabhumi airport, it was likely that part of the new facility would have to be closed and Don Muang airport would pick up the slack.

Some people had suggested the airport, open less than three months, be completely closed for a revamp, with flights being redirected to Don Muang until the improvements are completed, Mr Sansern said. He was opposed to that. Trying to move everything back to Don Muang would cause chaos.

The Council for Democratic Reform _ now the Council for National Security _ asked about the readiness of Suvarnabhumi airport just after the Sept 19 coup, but executives of the Airports of Thailand (AoT) had insisted the airport was ready for the scheduled Sept 28 opening.

Opening the airport before it was completed had inevitably led to problems. If the opening had been delayed to allow work to be finished properly, the airport would have started on a more solid footing.

The new AoT board appointed after the coup has discovered physical and managerial problems at Suvarnabhumi airport.

Board member Yodyiam Theptranont, who heads a sub-panel investigating the problems, said the repairs would take a long time. He could not give a timeframe.

Mr Yodyiam's report to the AoT board outlined a lengthy list of complaints and deficiencies, along with a list of recommendations on fixing the problems.

The report attributed the faults to substandard construction, poor management and manipulation of designs and materials.

The report said the airport's information technology facilities were incomplete and the upper floors of the car park building have no drains, causing rain water to flow into elevator shafts.

Over 1,000 lamps had already burned out and not been replaced.

Mr Yodyiam said AoT lacked an official with direct responsibility for the airport's construction, which had posed an obstacle in getting swift repairs.

Another AoT board member, Tortrakul Yomnak, said many areas need repairs and a partial closure was likely.

Chaisak Angsuwan, director-general of the Civil Aviation Department, said that due to the persistent problems, the department could not issue a permanent licence for Suvarnabhumi airport.

It would, however, extend an interim aerodrome certificate for the airport for another six months in January, he said.

Mr Chaisak said the airport needed to meet all physical and operational requirements before it could be given a permanent certificate.

There were many cracks in the airport's taxiways, some serious and some not, and repairs would be time-consuming, he said. Many operations staff also have no expertise in using their equipment.

Adm Bannawit Kengrian, chairman of the National Legislative Assembly's committee on Suvarnabhumi airport, said his panel had discovered mistakes and irregularities in almost all the airport's contracts. Names of those believed responsible would be announced in two weeks.

Specifications in some contracts had been distorted, he said.

Salaries paid executives of the Novotel Suvarnabhumi Airport Hotel were unusually high. Despite its claimed five-star status, the hotel had plywood doors.

An inexperienced contractor operated transformers that supply power to visiting aircraft and six transformers had burnt out. The cost of digging ditches around the airport was inflated to three billion baht and hiring security guards to five billion baht.

Any contracts where corruption was found would be scrapped, he said

Post by **mil_dos** » Fri Jan 12, 2007 9:15 pm

Don Muang now likely to be opened for domestic traffic on 15th March.

Post by **PeteC** » Sat Jan 13, 2007 4:12 am

Yes, but for domestic flights with no international connections. I guess somehow they will retain some domestic flights at SB where the traffic load is primarily people coming of off or going onto connecting international flights. How they're going to figure that out and make it work consistently I have no idea. Pete

Post by **JimboPSM** » Sat Jan 13, 2007 4:27 am

Looks like 15th March has been put on hold - from Bangkok Post today:

Minister brakes Don Muang plans

(BangkokPost.com, TNA)

Transport Minister Thira Haocharoen put the brakes on a proposal to move some flights back to Don Muang from the new Suvarnabhumi Airport, and said much more talking lay ahead before such a scheme could happen.

There will be, for example, "another workshop to brainstorm a conclusion on the matter late this month or early next month," he said.

The board of Airports of Thailand Plc on Thursday approved the use of Don Muang for domestic flights and set March 15 as the possible date for the relaunch of the old airport.

Adm Thira scoffed. He said the resolution by the AoT board had no authority, and any such plan would have to be submitted for Cabinet approval.

Decision-makers needed to heed the opinions of all parties concerned in the private and public sectors again. The workshop would lead to resolution of the issue.

"The move of domestic flights to the Don Muang Airport will have wide-ranging repercussions. So, it needs to be studied in detail with caution," said the minister.

"The news that the matter will go before a cabinet meeting in one or two weeks and that domestic flight services will be re-launched within one to two months cannot yet be affirmed. We need first to consider to the opinions of all parties concerned," he said.

Don Muang airport accommodated almost 39 million passengers a year before ending more than 90 years service to regular flights September 27. It currently services only chartered and special flights.

Thai Airways International president Apinan Sumanaseni said the AoT board's decision regarding domestic flights should be considered an impractical idea since it could affect schedules of domestic flights linking provinces.

For instance, he said, the Mae Hong Son-Pitsanulok-Bangkok flight could not be scheduled under the scheme.

So, he believed the matter would not yet be wrapped up. It needs renewed discussions with all parties concerned, particularly between aviation firms, the Transport Ministry and AoT.

Tassapol Bijleveld, chief executive of Thai AirAsia, shared the view of the THAI president, saying the opening of domestic flights with no connections with other routes was not practicable.

Should the scheme be implemented, the company would experience difficulties in managing its fleet of aircraft since there would need to be shuttles between planes for domestic and international flights.

However, in any case he believed the AoT board's resolution would need endorsement by the Transport Ministry.

But if the resolution won approval for implementation, he insisted, his company would not relocate its domestic flight services to Don Muang.

Post by **JimboPSM** » Sat Jan 13, 2007 8:35 pm

Despite the comments from the Transport Minister it looks like Thai are rushing, like lemmings, to move most domestic operations back to DM.

From The Nation:

DON MUANG AIRPORT
THAI going back to the future

National carrier to move all but three of its domestic routes from Suvarnabhumi to old airport to save on operating costs

Thai Airways International is moving all of its domestic routes, except those involving Phuket, Chiang Mai and Khon Kaen, to Don Muang airport once the Cabinet approves its reopening.

The move aims to save on operating costs, which are higher at the new Suvarnabhumi Airport. The flag carrier recently said the move to Suvarnabhumi had added Bt3.7 billion to its annual operating costs.

THAI president Apinan Sumanaseni said yesterday that only flights on three routes would be operated at Suvarnabhumi as they carry a large number of foreign passengers who are taking connecting flights to overseas destinations.

On Thursday, Airports of Thailand's (AOT) board approved in principle the reopening of the old airport following an outcry from low-cost airlines over the higher operating fees.

Budget airlines have complained about the higher costs of using the new international airport, which took over domestic and international flights when it opened on September 28.

Yesterday, AOT informed the Stock Exchange of Thailand that its board had approved reopening the capital's old airport for domestic flights, a move that would reduce operating costs for budget airlines.

Deputy Transport Minister Sansern Wongcha-um said the reopening of Don Muang would relieve AOT from the future investment of Bt1.4 billion for the construction of a low-cost airline terminal.

However, he is unsure whether the move will be permanent. The issue will be forwarded to the Cabinet for approval, possibly next week.

"This should help AOT delay the new investment for four or five years," Sansern said yesterday, adding that the authorities are also addressing the reported cracks on Suvarnabhumi's taxi ways.

AOT said in the statement that if the Cabinet approved the plan, airlines flying non-transit domestic routes would have the option of moving back to Don Muang.

Low-cost carriers including Nok Air and One Two Go have shown interest in moving their operations to Don Muang airport. However, AirAsia wants to move both domestic and international routes back to the old airport.

Apinan said few passengers would be troubled by THAI's intended move. The airline will provide a shuttle-bus service serving the two airports.

He added that THAI would finalise a domestic flight timetable and a comparison of operating costs between the two airports within two weeks.

"Operating costs at the former airport would be cheaper than Suvarnnabhumi Airport. Moreover, Don Muang will be less of a problem for matters such as landing fees, parking fees and ground services, as well as leading to shorter delays. Meanwhile, passengers will also save on travel time and transportation expenditure," said Apinan.

The airline chief also said THAI was proceeding with a plan to set up a new airline, details of which are expected to be completed in six months. The new carrier will operate only domestic routes, using Don Muang airport.

However, investment costs and a formal name have not yet been decided.

"THAI will take a 100-per-cent share in the new airline," Apinan added.

The carrier is will be a full-service airline positioned between low-cost operators and THAI.

THAI will transfer aircraft and facilities to the new airline.

Suchat Sritama

The Nation

I cannot understand how the combined operating costs at two airports can possibly produce a saving compared to those of just one.

They will have to staff two lots of administration, check-in, ground handling, maintenance, communications and transport between the two etc, etc.

Those additional costs (IMHO) will certainly amount to more than the additional costs they have incurred in operating out of Suvarnabhumi, no prizes for guessing who will end up paying? - absolutely crazy

Post by **mil_dos** » Mon Jan 22, 2007 10:19 pm

Worth a look. It's from the Professional Pilot's Rumour Network:

http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=260963

Post by **HansMartin** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 7:03 am

According to CNN. Now this headline sure gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling

Bangkok airport officially unsafePOSTED: 3:31 p.m. EST, January 27, 2007

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) -- Aviation authorities have refused to extend an international safety certificate for Bangkok's new international airport, a senior official said Saturday, dealing another blow to the problem-plagued facility.

With runway and tarmac repairs at Suvarnabhumi airport still under way, the Department of Civil Aviation decided Friday not to renew its interim safety certificate, which expired a day earlier. The airport can, however, continue to operate without the license.

Somchai Sawasdeepon, the airport's general manager, said the airport also has yet to set up a safety committee as required by the International Civil Aviation Organization because authorities are "busy resolving other problems."

The issue will be discussed at the next board meeting, Somchai said, adding that he was confident the certificate will be renewed after the safety committee has been established.

Local newspapers have reported that some foreign pilots raised concerns about safety issues at the Suvarnabhumi, but Somchai said such fears were not voiced at a meeting of airline representatives on Friday.

The International Civil Aviation Organization has made it a requirement for international airports to hold an Aerodrome Certificate -- aimed at standardizing global airport operations. Suvarnabhumi can nonetheless continue to operate without the certificate because it has yet to incorporate that requirement into law.

The airport was enmeshed in one corruption scandal after another during its construction, and since its opening last September problems have surfaced ranging from an inadequate number of toilets to cracks on taxiways leading to the runway. Probes are being carried out into a number of corrupt deals related to the facility.

On Thursday, several incoming flights were diverted to another airport about 200 kilometers (125 miles) away after debris was found on a runway.

The discovery of taxiway cracks, which began appearing about two weeks after the airport opened, was made public last week by lawmakers inspecting the airport.

Cracks at 25 separate locations made it impossible to use 11 out of 51 air bridges for boarding aircraft, causing inconvenience to passengers who had to take buses to and from their planes, Transport Minister Thira Hao-Charoen said Thursday after an inspection visit.

Post by **PeteC** » Sun Mar 04, 2007 5:58 am

From the Bangkok Post this morning.
________________________________

Suvarnabhumi runway cracks safety concern for British MP
Appeal for openness made in parliament

By Saritdet Marukatat

Runway cracks at Suvarnabhumi airport were raised in Britain's parliament due to safety concerns for UK citizens visiting Thailand. Conservative MP Greg Hands, in the House of Commons on Feb 22, pressed Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett and Transport Secretary Douglas Alexander for answers about whether flaws at the new airport would pose a danger to airlines and passengers.

The questions were an indication of the rising international concern since the airport opened on Sept 28. Apart from runway cracks, Suvarnabhumi also has structural problems inside the terminal and elsewhere.

''There are thousands of British passengers landing and taking off from the [Bangkok] airport each week and they deserve to know that the airport is safe,'' Mr Hands said.

The MP, who visited Bangkok last month, said he decided to put the issue to the House to protect public interest of British people at a time when there was so little information about Suvarnabhumi in the British media.

''I think passengers deserve to know about the problems and they can make their own choices about whether they use the airport or not,'' he added.

Tourists from the United Kingdom, which includes England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, are the largest group of visitors from Europe to Thailand. Last year, 850,000 UK visitors came to the kingdom, up from 774,000 in 2005, said the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

He did not get answers from the two British ministers.

But Under Secretary of State for Transport Gillan Merron told parliament on Tuesday that the British government was aware of the problems plaguing Suvarnabhumi, but said they would not pose safety risks to British flyers.

''UK operators are required to have procedures for ensuring the continuing adequacy and suitability of the aerodromes that they plan to use,'' she said.

Though no UK operators have raised safety concerns with Thai aviation authorities, Ms Merron said she believed British Airways, the UK flag carrier, had undertaken its own study and was satisfied safety was not threatened.

Despite confidence in the airport safety and the Thai investigation into the flaws, the under secretary said British transport officials would attempt to hold talks with their Thai counterparts on the issue.

Post by **HansMartin** » Sun Mar 04, 2007 11:08 am

If only our Congress cared as much about us as Parliment cares about the Brits!!

Post by **STEVE G** » Sun Mar 04, 2007 4:30 pm

The cargo airline I work for is flying into Suvarnabhumi daily and so far we've had no damage from the surface conditions of the taxiways, which is more than you can say for a lot of other airports around the world.