Thai Airways to Move Most Domestic Flights Back to Don Muang

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The following appears in THE NATION:

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DON MUANG AIRPORT

 

THAI Going Back to the Ffuture

 

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

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And this, from the BANGKOK POST:

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IATA Blasts AoT Decision to Shift Flights

 

Don Muang Looks Set to Make a Comeback

 

BOONSONG KOSITCHOTETHANA & CHATRUDEE THEPARAT

 

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) said yesterday that a decision by Airports of Thailand Plc (AoT) to shift some commercial flights back to Don Muang would dampen Bangkok's potential for becoming an aviation hub. Making flight connections between two airports would be a huge inconvenience for passengers, and might further damage the attractiveness of Thailand as a tourist destination, the world's largest airline trade group said.

 

Responding to a query from the Bangkok Post, Albert Tjoeng, the IATA spokesman for Asia-Pacific, said: ''Imagine a passenger arriving in Suvarnabhumi and having to catch a connecting domestic flight or no-frills flight from Don Muang. How long will that connection take including baggage collection, travel from Suvarnabhumi to Don Muang and then check-in for the next flight? If an airport wants to be a hub, it is important to keep the connection time low.''

 

IATA has always supported the Thai governments' policy of having a single airport for Bangkok, largely because it would provide easy connections for passengers and facilitate airline operations.

 

Mr Tjoeng said that if AoT insisted on going ahead with the reopening of Don Muang for commercial flights, then it had to ensure a level playing field for all airlines.

 

While the landing and parking fees at both Suvarnabhumi and Don Muang airports are the same, the cost of renting space at Don Muang would be cheaper.

 

Several Bangkok-based airline managers yesterday expressed support for AoT's decision to shift point-to-point domestic flights back to Don Muang in a move to relieve congestion at four-month-old Suvarnabhumi.

 

They said it was the best immediate solution to unresolved problems, including insufficient toilet facilities, cracking taxiways and heavy traffic at the new airport, which is already nearing its designed annual capacity of 45 million passengers.

 

This scenario could benefit passengers travelling domestic point-to-point routes, as well as the airlines, in that they would be processed through a more accessible, roomy and complete airport.

 

Airline executives estimated that Suvarnabhumi could be relieved of as much as 30% of its traffic load by transferring selected flights to Don Muang. This would prolong the service lifespan of Bangkok's troubled new airport, particularly at a time when the government remains indecisive about the airport's expansion.

 

Thai Airways International president Apinan Sumanaseni yesterday expressed support for AoT's decision. He said THAI was prepared to move point-to-point domestic flights to Don Muang while keeping those requiring connecting international flights, such as those from Chiang Mai, Phuket and Krabi, at Suvarnabhumi.

 

THAI operates about 300 domestic flights a week.

 

At least three airlines that offer domestic services including One-Two-Go, Nok Air and Thai AirAsia, have shown no objection to the move.

 

IATA said there was urgent need to build a new mid-field terminal to create additional capacity for Suvarnabhumi.

 

However, Apichart Sankary, president of the Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA), said using dual airports may not suit tour operators as they would need to provide facilities at both, entailing more cost and time.

 

He said that AoT should be open about the problems at Suvarnabhumi airport in order to allow private sectors to prepare operations accordingly.

 

He said if the government wanted to use two airports, the airport-link project should link to Don Muang as well.

 

He said some big cities had two airports but they had efficient transport links.

 

Maiyarat Pheerayakoses, managing director of Lee Ben Travel Service Co, said that if the government wanted to use Don Muang, a transport link between the two airports was vital because passengers would choose to fly to the airport destination with the most convenient facilities.

[Gaybutton]

The following appears in the BANGKOK POST:

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AVIATION AIRPORT CONGESTION

 

Only Three Airlines Set to Move to Don Muang

 

BOONSONG KOSITCHOTETHANA

 

Only three carriers including Thai Airways International are prepared to move their non-connecting domestic operations to Don Muang Airport, raising questions whether the shift would ease crowding at Suvarnabhumi Airport. The other two airlines that are prepared to move are the budget carriers One-Two-Go and Nok Air, whereas Thai AirAsia and Bangkok Airways have opted to remain at the new airport.

 

Their willingness to move point-to-point domestic flights to the old airport is driven by a desire to relieve passengers and staff of the inconveniences and frustration they are enduring at Suvarnabhumi.

 

On the passenger side, the problems involve long queues for check-in, long waits for baggage and long walks to boarding gates, while airlines have been subject to flight delays due to poor traffic management and congestion.

 

THAI, One-Two-Go and Nok Air are reportedly prepared to pay the additional costs in setting up separate operations at Don Muang, which was closed on Sept 28 when Suvarnabhumi opened.

 

However, Thai AirAsia and Bangkok Airways prefer to stay at Suvarnabhumi due partly to the high costs of operating at two sites. They also do not want to lose connections with their international flights.

 

Both Nok Air chief executive Patee Sarasin and One-Two-Go vice-chairman Kajit Habanananda said yesterday that passengers' convenience overshadowed the incremental costs involved in setting up again at Don Muang.

 

''We are ready to go back to Don Muang on 30 days' notice,'' Mr Patee said, adding that all of Nok Air's current flights were domestic point-to-point.

 

Mr Kajit said One-Two-Go was prepared to absorb and costs arising from move and would not pass it on to passengers.

 

THAI president Apinan Sumanaseni said that the sooner the national carrier could move its non-connecting flights to Don Muang, the better it would be for its passengers, who are mostly Thais.

 

Both Mr Apinan and Mr Kajit said their airlines could start their flights out of Don Muang on March 15.

 

Meanwhile, Bangkok Airways said its operations had been built around Suvarnabhumi and that Don Muang was not in its plans. M.L. Nandhika Varavarn, vice-president for corporate communication, said 90% of Bangkok Airways' passengers were foreigners who required connections with international flights.

 

Thai AirAsia chief executive Tassapon Bijleveld said that unless Airports of Thailand Plc allowed it to also shift its international services to Don Muang, it would rather remain at Suvarnabhumi. ''We cannot afford to split our operations at two sites. It doesn't make economic sense.''

 

Instead, Mr Tassapon urged AoT to speed up consideration of a plan it had outlined earlier to build a special terminal for budget carriers at Suvarnabhumi.

 

Aviation analysts estimate anywhere from 15% to 30% of the load at Suvarnabhumi could be reduced by reopening Don Muang for commercial flights.

 

Mr Apinan said THAI could make a ''significant'' contribution by moving.

 

The national carrier operates about 300 domestic flights a week. It wants to offer certain flights on three domestic routes frequented by foreign tourists - from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, Phuket and Krabi - at Suvarnabhumi to facilitate connections.