Airport Impressions

[rxpharm]

The old Don Muang Airport reopens this coming weekend as reported in Bangkok Post, March 21/07

Don Muang set to re-open this weekend

Don Muang Airport is ready to re-open for domestic flights on March 25 as planned as three airlines will initially shift their services from Suvarnabhumi Airport to Don Muang, according to Airport of Thailand (Aot) Acting President Kalaya Pakakrong.

Ms. Kalaya said security measures and facilities to serve airlines and passengers at Don Muang Airport were in place for the reopening of Don Muang Airport on March 25.

"Three airlines will initially return their domestic services to Don Muang -- Thai Airways, Nok Air (a subsidiary of Thai) and Orient Thai Airlines," she said.

The three airlines will offer 140 flights daily with 18,000 passengers, she said, adding that if there would be more airlines return their operations to Don Muang in the future, the airport would be ready to accommodate their needs.

She said it was expected that some 5 million passengers from the three airlines would use the airport.

Recently decommissioned Don Muang was scheduled to reopen from March 25, which would help alleviate congestion at the new airport while repairs are carried out.

The domestic terminal will be the main terminal at Don Muang with a capacity to accommodate 11 million passengers annually, Ms. Kalaya said.

She said after Don Muang is reopened for six months, AoT will evaluate the airport and report its result to the Transport Ministry.

"The evaluation report would be a major factor to decide whether the international flights will operate from Don Muang in the future or not," she said.

However, the acting AoT president said she saw the airport as capable of serving international flights in the region.

Meanwhile, Flight Lieutenant Pinit Saraithong, Don Muang's general manager, said all facilities are ready to serve passengers, including parking lots, taxi service, restaurants and souvenir shops.

The first four commercial flights to operate at Don Muang Airport would depart at 6 am: Thai flight TG 1020 Bangkok-Ubon Ratchathani, and Nok Air flights DD 9200 Bangkok-Udon Thani, DD7804 Bangkok-Nakhon Si Thammarat and DD 7102 Bangkok-Hat Yai.

Passengers should note that the code of Don Muang Airport will change from BKK to DMK. (TNA)


For those who may be transferring to a domestic flight after arrival to DM, or vice versa, it has been estimated by TG that the transit time may be 3.5 hrs, realistically if there is bad traffic, it might be 5. Not too many firm details about the link from DM to the new airport, but it sounds like there will be a shuttle bus service. Also the luggage situation has not been made clear, but I would expect you have to carry your luggage between airports and check it back in for your connecting flight, or perhaps just place it on a belt if the proper tags have been put on it.

TIT!

[Road Runner]

(rxpharm @ Mar. 21 2007,18:01) For those who may be transferring to a domestic flight after arrival to DM, or vice versa, it has been estimated by TG that the transit time may be 3.5 hrs, realistically if there is bad traffic, it might be 5.  Not too many firm details about the link from DM to the new airport, but it sounds like there will be a shuttle bus service.  Also the luggage situation has not been made clear, but I would expect you have to carry your luggage between airports and check it back in for your connecting flight, or perhaps just place it on a belt if the proper tags have been put on it.

You should nearly be able to walk between the two airports in 5 hours! A taxi would take about 40 minutes.

I seriously doubt that there will be a fixed link between the two in the forseeable future. My guess is that they will provide a shuttle bus and the journey time for that should be about 1 hour - though with traffic allow about 1.5 hours.

I don't see how they can provide a secure luggage transfer within the international rules unless they provide some sort of security van service. I suspect that you will have to collect your bags at one airport and go through the check-in/security search at the next.

RR.

[rxpharm]

More official announcements about the reopening of Don Muang from Bangkok Post, March 22/07

AVIATION / DON MUANG REOPENS ON SUNDAY

Old airport spruced up and ready

AMORNRAT MAHITTHIROOK

Don Muang airport appears set for the return of scheduled domestic flights on Sunday, taking the pressure off Suvarnabhumi, which needs to fix its cracked runways, taxiways and other problems.

''Everything has been tested, including the terminal, airline offices, parking space, security and other facilities,'' said Don Muang director Pinit Saraithong yesterday.



Facilities at the airport include restaurants, snack bars, souvenir shops and taxi services, which will levy a 50-baht extra charge.

Taxis would be under the supervision of the Land Transport Department. They would be subject to random checks for vehicle and passenger safety.

Don Muang will handle about 140 flights a day operated by One-Two-Go, Nok Air and Thai Airways International (THAI). The three airlines will move almost 20,000 passengers a day through the airport, which now provides services only for chartered flights.

Its airport code is DMK, while Suvarnabhumi uses BKK. Passengers should note the codes on their tickets to avoid confusion, acting president of Airports of Thailand Kulya Pakakrong said.

All THAI flights moving to Don Muang will do so on Sunday.

The two low-cost airlines, One-Two-Go and Nok Air, will divert some of their evening inbound flights from Suvarnabhumi to Don Muang on Saturday to test the services at the old airport (see graphic for flight numbers).

Thai Airways tested its check-in and ticketing systems at Don Muang yesterday, so ensure they could handle the change of the airport's code and the use of four digits on flight numbers in and out of Don Muang, an airline staffer said. THAI flights to Suvarnabhumi have three digits.

Ms Kulya did not rule out the possibility of Don Muang again accepting international flights in the future, given its capacity of 11 million passengers a year.

If so, she indicated a preference for limiting its international services to flights within the region.

AoT would evaluate the use of Don Muang after six months, she said.

After the relocation of flights to Don Muang, repairs at Suvarnabhumi will get fully under way.

The government's decision to reopen Don Muang is intended to save the money needed to expand Suvarnabhumi, which is already close to its full capacity of 45 million passengers a year due to the large number of travellers attracted by low-cost carriers.

An AoT official said security will be strict at Don Muang with bomb experts from the air force and police sniffer dogs on duty. He said 422 security cameras have been installed.

Ms Kulya said since all regular flights were moved to Suvarnabhumi on Sept 28 Don Muang has been operating in the red, with monthly expenses 88 million baht above income.

She said reopening of the old airport will boost revenue by about 90 million baht from 40 million baht a month.

Losses on the balance sheet will be slashed to 38 million baht, she said.

Road Runner's comments about the luggage transfer is probably correct. Transfers between Heathrow and Gatwick require you carry your bags and check them back in and similiarly JFK and La Guardia.

The time estimate is likely worse case scenario for passengers using the airport shuttle bus transfer. It is likely better to take a taxi if your connecting flight time is 3 hrs or less.

TIT!