Airport Impressions

[katoeylover]

from CNN

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.

[katoeylover]

Doesnt look good, does it, planes now being diverted and foreign pilots worried!!

[stogie bear]

The whole world is corrupt, but Thailand makes good news copy.

[katoeylover]

its easier to pick on the third world country, than whats happening in their own back yard.

We've run out of prison spaces so paedophiles go free now!!! and reporters get 4 months (for bugging Prince Charles mobile messaging service)

[Road Runner]

(katoeylover @ Jan. 27 2007,21:35) Doesnt look good, does it, planes now being diverted and foreign pilots worried!!    

While I sympathize with the pilots concerned you have to remember that what you have read is not written by them but by the media who have absolutely no clue what they are talking about!

I nearly kill myself laughing when I see what the media write about my work.    
The things I  'land'  are a bit heavier but luckily we have a somewhat greater margin for error than aircraft  

I will happily fly into Suvarnabhumi airport - cracks and all !!! I do hope they sort out the terminal building and it would be better if they did something about the runway/taxiway problems.

To put this all into perspective:-
Heathrow is built on a swamp like Suvarnabhumi. It's terminals are too small and have much worse communications links.
Gatwick is an ex WW2 fighter airfield which suffers 20% of the year by fog - that's why BAE (one one of the fore runners of British Airways) developed blind landing aids!
Luton Airport is the oldest of the present London airports - it is much smaller than nearly all the other airports in the UK and suffers from serious congestion at times.
Stanstead - a single runway air port to the east of London.
It's claim to fame?  If you get hijacked you will arrive at Stanstead.  It's size means that your plane can be isolated from the rest of the airport and assaulted by those nice gentlemen from Hereford.
London City Airport - like it says it's a city centre airport! It's small and cramped!

What's wrong with Suvarnabhumi?  Overall I would say not much  -  but maybe what the designers have missed is that airports are about people. Both staff and passengers.

RR.

[Guest]

Stanstead - a single runway air port to the east of London.

If i am wrong correct me it is more frieght hub these days.

Mst airports hve problems i look out mt window each day and wander if a plane is going slide of the runway and take a left hand turn and head for me.

[Guest]

try immigration at nirita airport what a shit hole that is and the steel doors to exit???

[rxpharm]

The decision has been made, Don Muang will reopen for domestic flights in the near future. Actually not a surprise considering this is probably the only way to do the proper repairs for the cracks on the runways and taxiways.

From The Nation, dated, January 29, 2007.

SUVARNABHUMI CRISIS
Don Muang to be resurrected

Airlines can resume domestic flights at old airport; international traffic will continue at troubled new facility

Airlines have been given the option of returning operations to the decommissioned Bangkok International Airport at Don Muang while repairs are made at the Bt150-billion Suvarnabhumi Airport.

The Transport Ministry recommended yesterday that carriers offering direct domestic flights be allowed to return to the old airport.

It said it would take between 45 day and 60 days to prepare Don Muang to accept flights and passengers again.

International flights will continue to use Suvarnabhumi Airport.

The resolution will be tabled at the February 6 Cabinet meet-ing, Transport Minister Theera Haocharoen said after meeting yesterday with top transport officials.

"The return to Don Muang is on a voluntary basis and is required to reduce inconvenience at Suvarnabhumi, where runway, taxiway, parking-bay and passenger-terminal repairs are under way," he said.

"These could cause inconvenience now that Suvarnabhumi is busy with domestic and international flights."

He said it was not known if the return would be made permanent. But, he said, from discussions with airlines, moving domestic flights to Don Muang would reduce all traffic at Suvarnabhumi by 30 per cent.

At present, Suvarnabhumi accommodates 1,150 domestic flights per week.

Theera believed a return to Don Muang would not trouble car-riers. They would require ground services only and not heavy, permanent equipment installed at Suvarnabhumi.

In a January 11 resolution, the Airports of Thailand board approved spending of Bt66 million to prepare Don Muang. It will need to provide other facilities and services, including taxis and buses.

Deputy Transport Minister Sansern Wongcha-um noted almost all domestic carriers were ready and willing to return to Don Muang. Airports of Thailand will discuss how expenses incurred will be met.

"Airlines should be able to shoulder the expenses," he said.

Open just four months, Suvarnabhumi is operating near its capacity of 45 million passengers a year. Based on the current volume of arrivals and departures, it is calculated Suvarnabhumi is operating at a level equivalent to 43 million passengers a year.

Sansern expected the move back to Don Muang would see a delay to the building of a new passenger terminal at Suvarnabhumi.

Orient-Thai Airlines chief executive Udom Tantiprasongchai said its One-Two-Go Airlines was ready to return to Don Muang.

"As a result of lower operating costs, this should allow us to register a 20-per-cent increase in passenger numbers this year, up from our original target of 10 per cent," he said, adding the airline needed to spend about Bt40 million on equipment at its Don Muang facilities.

A Transport Ministry source said agencies at yesterday's meeting suggested Thai Airways International maintain key domestic flights at Suvarnabhumi.

This is to accommodate foreign tourists who need connecting flights to internal tourist destinations. If these flights are operated from Suvarnabhumi, travellers will be inconvenienced.

Earlier, Thai Airways said it was ready to relocate non-transit domestic flights to Don Muang.

However, flights to and from Phuket and Chiang Mai will remain at Suvarnabhumi owning to the volume of international connections to and from these destinations.

Watcharapong Thongrung

The Nation

TIT!

[bangkoksins]

Again I will say S is best. It is being used as an attention grabber and finger pointing issue for some people in power.

It is stupiid to reopen DM.

The flights to S were diverted cos the planes did not have enough fuel to circle. All the others did.

Plus a few people have been losing big money since S opened.

[bigkev]

give me the old airport anyday.....at least it had toilets in plenty of locations,less king power shops and lots of places to eat or drink......

[bangkoksins]

give me the old airport anyday.....at least it had toilets in plenty of locations,less king power shops and lots of places to eat or drink......

You are kidding right? Or did you only pass through DM twice a year?

There are more and much better places to eat at S than there ever were at DM. As for the toilets, I seriously do not get it.

[bigkev]

"You are kidding right? Or did you only pass through DM twice a year?"
No i'm not kidding...why would i bother posting otherwise.How often i passed thru DM is irrelevant.
At least when i went to 1 of the many toilets at DM there was water in the taps in the basin of the loo.....the new airport,when i finally found a toilet ,had no water in either of the 2 basins,and a sign saying so.Absolutely nowhere to wash my hands except in the toilet bowl itself!!!!!!!!!!!.......i prefer the old airport anyday.....my opinion only,and that's what this forum is for....

[Guest]

http://www.sendspace.com/file/cplh4d

[Guest]

one more

http://www.sendspace.com/file/n1sjca

[mardhi]

I have not been inside the new airport but if the state of the new highway that provides access to it is anything to go, its not surprising the runways are falling apart. Since the new airport has been opened, the new highway is continually being re-surfaced with tarmac as its just falling apart. Funny how the expressways which have been in place for about 10 years are relatively in great condition.

Cheers
Mardhi