Don Muang International (DMK) to be Reopened

[Samsonite 181]

It is Now Official:

 

"Thai prime minister to reopen Don Muang

Thursday February 8, 2007

 

Thai Prime Minister Surayud Chulamont ordered Bangkok's Don Muang International Airport reopened to both international and domestic flights in order to prevent overcrowding at the new Suvarnabhumi International.

 

He cited increasing traffic at Suvarnabhumi and the need to block some gates to repair cracked airfield pavement (ATWOnline, Feb. 5). Transport Minister Theera Haocharoen said decisions about which airlines will move back to Don Muang should be made within two weeks. The airport should be ready for service by April 1.

 

Thai Airways, Orient Air, Bangkok Airways, Thai AirAsia, One-Two-Go and Nok Air have said they will operate from Don Muang, which can handle 37 million passengers per year. Thai AirAsia said it will move its entire 80-flights-per-day schedule back to the old facility.

 

The airports are on opposite sides of Bangkok, 30 km. apart, with no direct scheduled public transportation between them. Thai Airways has said it will operate a shuttle service when traffic resumes at Don Muang. Hotels and merchants near Don Muang have joined LCCs serving the Thai market in pressing for the reopening. It was closed to scheduled traffic when Suvarnabhumi opened in September.

 

Airports of Thailand executives told ATWOnline that using Don Muang for short-haul traffic will postpone the need to build two more runways and a low-cost terminal at Suvarnabhumi.

 

In a related development, AOT's board named Kulya Pakakrong, the authority's VP-planning and finance, as acting president replacing Chotisak Asapaviriya, who resigned last week."

 

by Adele C. Schwartz

http://www.atwonline.com/news/story.html?storyID=7852

Edited February 8, 2007 by Scalawag

[elef 0]

Just a comment, the thai government has decided that the Don Muang airfield owned by thai air force will be a reserve airport, no actual decision to move some flights there has been taken. I guess that domestic flights from the not international airports (Chiang Mai, Phuket, Hat Yai - more ?) will be be moved there for some time.

Edited February 15, 2007 by elef

[Samsonite 181]

Just a comment, the thai government has decided that the Don Muang airfield owned by thai air force will be a reserve airport, no actual decision to move some flights there has been taken. I guess that domestic flights from the not international airports (Chiang Mai, Phuket, Hat Yai - more ?) will be be moved there for some time.

When was this? It is counter to everything I've read on the situation to date. Last I heard, in the last 48 hours, was the government, in order to avoiding having to pay the relocation cost, has decided to let each airline decide if they want to move back or not and then pay their own cost to do so. Also, those airlines that stay at The King Power Shopping Mall (and airport) will still be charged the higher fees during the "reconstruction."

T.I.T.

[elef 0]

That was based on what I've heard in Thailand (returned yesterday). Also as far as I know no negotiations have started with thai air force for how much they ask for reopen DM as a civilian airport - temporarily or not. Some equipments were moved to the new airport and new must be ordered before DM can open again. More than 100 immigration and customs officers must be recruited too if there will be international flights, but even if just domestic officers for security controls are needed. It can take weeks or months before that happens.

[Samsonite 181]

Today's latest news (more T.I.T.):

February 16, 2007 :

 

Home > Breakingnews > Don Muang may not be reopened: offiical

 

Don Muang may not be reopened: offiical

 

Don Muang International Airport may not be reopened due to lower-than-expected number of airlines that have shown the intention of moving their operations to the old airport, said an executive of Airports of Thailand.

 

Pinit Saraithong, Don Maung director, said the old airport may not be reopened as only three airlines are interested in moving to Don Muang. The airlines operate a number of flights which account for a tiny part of the flights operated at Suvarnabhumi.

 

"How could we survive with the few number of clients," he said.

 

AOT earlier expected at least 30 per cent flights from Suvarnabhumi would be moved to Don Muang.

 

Transport Minister Theera Haocharoen said after the meeting with over 60 airlines today that most of them insist on staying at Suvarnabhumi Airport.

 

The issue would be finalised by the a panel, chaired by Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont, which will hold a meeting Friday, he said.

 

The Nation"

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingne...newsid=30026966

[elef 0]

Yes TIT and may very well change many times yet until the cracks are repaired. Still the cobra swamp airport is near it's capacity and need a new terminal for low-price carriers, so maybe DM will be an alternative???

[HILLY 9]

Now they are saying that the repairs are not as difficult as first thought and most airlies have said they will not move including Thai so the government says it will not need to be re-opened.

[elef 0]

TIT - new orders from PM:

 

Don Muang Airport will serve domestic flights only : PM

 

Remaining as an international airport, Don Muang airport will be for domestic flights only, Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont said Friday.

 

 

Don Muang airport will need another three weeks before it is ready for re-opening, Surayud said.

 

 

He was speaking after chairing a meeting of committee on solving problems of Suvarnabhumi and Don Muang airports.

 

 

"Talking about problems at the new airport, there were two parts; firstly those at runways and taxiways and secondly at the passenger buildings. We have to focus at the passenger terminals because their safety come first. Concerning cracks at the runways and taxiways, I believe that they are still covered by insurance," he said.

 

 

In a separate interview, Transport Minister Thira Haocharoen said the non-connecting domestic flights would use Don Muang Airport while repairs to the taxiways and the runway of the new airport at Suvarnabhumi are carried out.

 

To operate nontransit domestic flights at the old airport would be Thai Airways International, Nok Air and OneTwoGo. The resolution would be forwarded for the Cabinet's approval next week.

 

Theera said Don Muang should then accommodate about 70 flights per day.

 

"International flights would remain at Suvarnabhumi Airport," he told reporters.

 

"(Despite the decision), Don Muang still remains an international airport, as chartered flights overseas are still operated at the airport," Thira said.

 

The ministry was also assigned to study, in a sixmonth period, if more airlines would move to Don Muang.

 

Thira earlier said only the damaged part of one of the runways at Suvarnabhumi would be closed off for repairs for two weeks. That would have minimum impact on air traffic at the new airport as the existing runways are long enough to accommodate take-offs and landings.

 

 

The minister stressed that the authorities would leave it to each airline to decide whether to move their base to Don Muang or to stay at Suvarnabhumi.

 

 

Airports of Thailand Plc informed the meeting Thursday that Bangkok's recently decommissioned airport at Don Muang could be reopened from March 25.

 

 

It is expected that about 20 per cent of flights to Thailand would opt to transfer their operations to Don Muang, which would help alleviate congestion at the new airport while repairs are carried out.

 

 

The Nation

 

Link

[gregUK 44]

What's the latest?

I'm in Thailand for Easter and have to fly down from Udon Thani to BKK to catch the plane back to UK.

Just worried about the connection!

[nodleroh 1]

I just read on the Nok Air web site that they will be using the old airport for all domestic flights starting in late March 2007. I don't know if I want to go to Chiang Mai now. Too far from Pattaya!

[elef 0]

AFAIK the latest is that DM will reopen on march 25 for some/most domestic flights. Thai Airways has said no, but its subsidiary Nok Air wll move and so will most domestic airlines. No international flights however as there'll be no passport control or customs.

[elef 0]

I got a free domestic biz class ticket from Thai this time and I booked a flight to CM on may 2nd and back on may 5th. The flight to CM is from DMK (TG 1116) and back is to BKK (TG 0127).

[irmster 0]

AFAIK the latest is that DM will reopen on march 25 for some/most domestic flights. Thai Airways has said no, but its subsidiary Nok Air wll move and so will most domestic airlines. No international flights however as there'll be no passport control or customs.

 

Actually, 2/3rds of TG domestic services will go from Don Muang.

[gregUK 44]

New Schedules for the 2 Airports

 

http://www.pattayatalk.com/forums/index.ph...ost&id=9081