Suvarnabhumi gets a code.

[Indiana_Jack 0]

Quote from 2Bangkok.com

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Suvarnabhumi gets interim code - Bangkok Post, July 6, 2006

To the international aviation industry, Suvarnabhumi airport will soon be known under the code-name NBK while Bangkok's international airport moves from Don Muang to the new site...

The code will be used for a period after the hoped-for opening of Suvarnabhumi airport for commercial services on Sept 28, until operations run smoothly.

Then the IATA code for the 125-billion-baht new airport will be changed to the designated name for Bangkok's international airport--BKK--which is currently used by Don Muang airport.

Don Muang is being stripped of the BKK code as it will no longer serve as Bangkok's international airport after the much-delayed Suvarnabhumi opens...

Reservation slips for the inaugural commercial flights from Don Muang to Suvarnabhumi on July 29 will be BKK-NBK...

 

Jack

[Eneukman 1]

Hope the test flights into and out of the new airport later this month go well.

 

I still get the feeling that 28th September is too early for the new airport and that it is going to be absolute chaos for anyone arriving or leaving immediately after that date.

 

Alan

[lv2play 0]

if it finally opens

 

 

bangkok post

[Brown1950 67]

I fly back to the UK on 28th Sept !!!!!!!!!!

[The Mook 105]

There will a gradual exchange from DM to Suvarnabhumi. Passenger flights will be exchanged slowly. Cargo will lead the way. Small tests will occur for passenger departures and take-offs before they go "all out." Your airline will know before your flight. Call them.

[Floyd 0]

not accoprding to stickman, all essentials will be moved in 3 hours

The long-delayed Suvaranbhumi Airport, only 90 minutes from Pattaya, is now scheduled to initiate operations September 25, 2006 (tee hee) but pundits predict the start date will be early 2007. Hans-Joachim Klohs, representing the firm that will oversee the overnight transition from Don Muang to Suvaranbhumi Airport, says the move will be made on a single night starting at 3:00 AM, so there will be a very small window of time in which to transport all the essential equipment at a time that will least disrupt air and ground operations. He told last Sunday’s meeting of the Pattaya City Expats Club that there is no way to execute the move of equipment and personnel in a smooth step by step process while the airport is closed. So a highly detailed, almost mass movement of equipment and personnel has been designed.

 

Concerned about glitches in the opening of Suvaranbhumi, Hans discussed other Asian airport openings. The Kuala Lumpur Airport, designed for about half the passengers as Suvaranbhumi, opened 10 days after the disastrous opening of the Hong Kong International Airport. Hong Kong news coverage allowed the problems at KL to go relatively unnoticed. Of note, however, on opening day of the KL airport, 25% of the staff did not show up because they thought there would be too many problems to deal with. Hans also explained that the baggage handling system is really the key to successful airport operations. The new Bangkok airport will be tested July 27 when volunteer passengers will be used to simulate operations.

[tayug 0]

Where this is interesting is for flights that park overnight at BKK, e.g. the late Cathy Pacific flight out of Hong Kong becomes the morning flight back to Hong Kong

 

So this plane will have to be flown empty between the 2 airports in the wee hours of the 28th.

 

Tayug