Suvarnabhumi Airport set to open on Sept 28

BANGKOK, June 8 (TNA) - Bangkok's new Suvarnabhumi Airport is now set to open for commercial purposes on September 28, the Transport Ministry announced here on Wednesday.

The opening date of the Suvarnabhumi International Airport was set recently by the government commmittee on management and development of the new airport, Deputies Transport Minister Gen.Chainant Charoensiri and Mr. Phumtham Wechayachai told a press conference after a meeting here Wednesday with the board of directors of Thai Airways International Public Company Limited (THAI), the national flag carrier.

A new committee comprising of representatives of all parties concerned, including Airports of Thailand Public Co., Ltd. (AOT), the Customs Department, the Immigration Bureau, THAI and other international airlines, would also be set up to oversee the relocation of Bangkok's internatonal airport from the Don Muang Airport to the Suvarnabhumi Airport, the two ministers said.

The committee set-up will be complete by June 17 when Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra will chair a meeting of all the parties concerned to review all projects and plans involving the Suvarnabhumi Airport, including the remaining construction and decoration works, to ensure that the new airport will be opened as scheduled, according to the ministers.

Gen. Chainant oversees AOT, while Mr. Phumtham supervises THAI.

"Construction and decoration works at the Suvarnabhumi Airport have been nearly complete at the moment. Only some minor works are to be settled over the next four months; so, I can say we're now ready for the opening of the new airport," said Gen. Chainant.

THAI will begin moving its offices from the Don Muang Airport in early September and will completely move to the new airport the night before its opening on September 28, according to the company's top management.

TNA

Suvarnabhumi Airport to commercially open on Sept 28, says minister

BANGKOK, June 20 (TNA) – Transport Minister Pongsak Raktapongpaisal on Monday confirmed that the New Bangkok International Airport or Suvarnabhumi Airport would be formally opened for commercial services on September 28.

Speaking after a meeting with the Suvarnabhumi Airport Development Committee, he said he had monitored progress on construction and decoration works in various sections of the new airport.

He found important tasks had been completely done and many systems had been tested to ensure safety.

Because of this, the committee resolved to designate September 28 as the first day the Suvarnabhumi Airport would offer commercial services.

He said the Airports of Thailand (AOT) Public Co., Ltd. would inform low-cost airlines of the matter in writing.

At the same time, the government will allow low-cost airlines to take off and land.

Various systems, including check-in, explosive device monitoring tools and conveyors will be tested on July 29.

After that, airplanes of five airlines, including Thai Airways International Public Company Limited (THAI), would be tested on a weekly basis.

In the first three years of operation, Mr. Pongsak said, the government would have all commercial planes take off or land in the Suvarnabhumi Airport.

It is expected that the number of passengers in the new airport will increase from 45 million as earlier targeted after the first three years.

After that, airlines would be allowed to take off or land in at both Don Muang Airport and Suvarnabhumi Airport, he said.

TNA

THAI offers Bt999 tickets for Suvarnabhumi Airport inaugural

CHIANG MAI, June 23 (TNA) - Thai Airways International (THAI), Thailand's flag carrier, and six other Thai airlines have jointly agreed to fix airfares for inaugural commercial flights from Don Muang Intenational Airport to Suvarnabhumi International Airport on July 29 at 999 baht, a THAI senior official said.

THAI Executive Vice President, Commercial Department, Mr. Vasing Kittikul said on Friday that all income from the ticket sales would be presented to His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadet for his use.

Mr. Vasing said THAI and six other commercial airlines -- Nok Air, Thai Air Asia, Orient Thai, P.B. Air and Bangkok Airways -- had agreed to join the launch of commercial flights for Suvarnabhumi Airport with special flights on July 29.

"Tickets from Bangkok's Don Muang Airport to the new Suvarnabhumi Airport are priced at Bt999," he noted.

The flights are considered the inaugulation--before the airport is fully opened, Mr. Vasing said.

The tickets would be on sale from July 1, he said.

Moreover, THAI will offer other special flights to mark the Suvarnabhumi Airport's commercially opening with one-way economy class tickets from Chiang Mai in the North and Phuket in the South set at Bt1,999, while the round-trip fare is Bt3,999.

Round-trip business class tickets from Bangkok to Chiang Mai and Bangkok to Phuket are set at Bt2,999 and Bt5,999 respectively.

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinwatra confirmed earilier that the Suvarnabhumi Airport would officially open on September 28.

TNA

Full tests at Suvarnabhumi Airport start July 3

BANGKOK, July 1 (TNA) - With the scheduled opening of Bangkok's new Suvarnabhumi International Airport only three months away, complete testing of the new airport facilities will begin Monday (July 3), the airport director said Saturday, to ensure that the national showcase is ready for the launch.

Suvarnabhumi Airport Director Somchai Sawasdipol said tests would be conducted on air-conditioning and lighting systems, passenger check-in counters and the operation of CTX bomb scanners starting Monday and continuing until the airport's opening for commercial use.

Low-cost airlines will undertake tests by taking off and landing at the airport on July 29.

The airport is scheduled for commercial opening two months later, on September 28.

Regarding expressed concerns that staff who are transferred from the existing Don Muang International Airport and newly recruited personnel may encounter problems on using the state-of-the-art equipment at Suvarnabhumi Airport when it opens, Mr. Somchai said there should be no problem as full training has been given to all officials.

The eight-storey complex, including an underground floor--where there will be electric mass transit facilities--and passenger terminals of the new airport, has a total area of some 563,000 square meters and is located on the northern part of the airport. It can cater to 45 million passengers annually.

TNA