| |
Gyaos
|
Somchai said. "Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur had problems [when opening international airports in 1998]
Yeah, but Hong Kong has a high-speed train + free shuttle bus from Kowloon or Hong Kong stations to the major hotels. In fact even a free shuttle to Jordon to get laid for the new '98 station! Don't know Kuala Lumpur, however.
Gyaos.
|
Thai Girls : Meet Sexy Thai Girls
Posted on: 4:38 pm on July 7, 2006
|
|
breconion
|
Seen in Bangkok Post
Special offer for travellers to be the first to land at and take off from the new airport with a tour round the airport.
Small advert but was if I remember for the end of this month.
Seems as though landing empty planes are not enough and they want extra weight but also need the money.
Sorry cannot remember the full details.
|
Bangkok Women : Meet Sensual Bangkok Women
Posted on: 8:09 pm on July 7, 2006
|
|
PussyLover 69
|
Report from Bangkok Post dated Saturday 8 July 2006 :-
Budget airlines seek Suvarnabhumi delay : Most don't trust Sept 28 deadline
=============================================
Thailand's three budget airlines have urged the government to reschedule the opening of Suvarnabhumi airport beyond Sept 28 as they don't believe it will be ready.
Thai AirAsia, Nok Air and One-Two-Go have asked the Transport Ministry in a letter to be realistic about setting a new deadline.
''The opening date [Sept 28] is too rushed. It will be beset with a lot of problems if the government insists on opening the airport prematurely on that day,'' said Sehapan Chumsai, executive vice-president for marketing of Nok Air, an affiliate of Thai Airways International.
The government would only open itself to criticism from the public and could face further embarrassment if glitches accompany the airport's opening, he said.
The three carriers say it will do no harm to have flights continue to operate out of the existing Don Muang airport, which is coping despite heavy congestion, until Suvarnabhumi is truly ready.
International carriers are also on record as being equally sceptical about the Sept 28 opening date promised by caretaker prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
''We [budget airlines] are not against moving to Suvarnabhumi, though we are comfortable remaining at Don Muang,'' Mr Sehapan said.
Among the obvious problems with Suvarnabhumi is that despite four decades of stop-and-start planning and development, a clear transport plan is still lacking.
''The general public still do not have a clue as to whether there will be public transport to the site. Worse still, many simply don't know how to get there,'' said Mr Sehapan.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA), which represents almost all of the world's airlines, warned recently that Suvarnabhumi should begin commercial operations only when it is operationally ready.
''This means having undergone the required robust and comprehensive testing and trials to ensure that the various systems are working 100% and are seamlessly integrated,'' said Albert Tjoeng, the Asia-Pacific spokesman for IATA.
''We want it to be a safe and successful opening and cost-efficient in order to be a successful hub. No one wants the cost or embarrassment of a troubled opening.''
Despite serious doubts expressed by the industry, the Transport Ministry and Airports of Thailand Plc (AoT) remain committed to the Sept 28 opening.
Pongsak Raktapongpaisal, the caretaker transport minister, has been upset by reports casting doubt on the schedule, and has even gone so far as accusing the media, especially foreign news agencies that carried the reports, of having ''a hidden agenda''.
Mr Pongsak said that Suvarnabhumi managers had been running tests since Sept 29 last year, and that recent inspections showed satisfactory results.
Aviation communications were in place, including the navigation system, and facilities such as the luggage conveyor and check-in systems were completely ready for service, he added.
|
Thai Girls : Meet Sexy Thai Girls
Posted on: 9:16 am on July 8, 2006
|
|
Deep File
|
Even the budget guys (who have been offered a lot of "inducements" to cooperate with this politically-imposed opening date) are getting cold feet. This does not bode well for the Sept opening date. Virtually all industry observers agree that Sept is impossible, and that even December is problematic. Might not stop Taksin and his henchmen though....
|
Bangkok Girls : Meet Sexy Bangkok Girls
Posted on: 1:17 am on July 9, 2006
|
|
PussyLover 69
|
Report from The Nation dated Wednesday 19 July 2006 :-
Up, up and away
==============
Suvarnabhumi Airport will get a six-month basic certification by early next week at the latest. "This is to be ready for the inaugural flights with real passengers to Suvarnabhumi on the last Saturday of the month," Chaisak Angsuwan director-general of the Civil Aviation Department, said yesterday.
He confirmed the airport would not get any form of international certificate from the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
"It's not the ICAO's job to certify airports," he said. "Aerodrome certification has to be done by the state authority in the country in which the airport is located."
Suvarnabhumi general manager Somchai Sawasdeepon expressed confidence the airport would be fully open for commercial use in September despite the expected delay in some construction projects.
"Airport opening and construction hand-overs are two separate issues. They won't affect each other," he said.
|
Thai Women : Meet Matured Thai Women
Posted on: 2:56 am on July 19, 2006
|
|
MadStockBroker
|
gotta laught at the balls up they are making....
so yeah the airport will be open... it just that construction wont be finished.
PM saves face and everyone happy.....
lots of back slapping and tea money all round!!!
|
Bangkok Women : Meet Beautiful Thai Girls
Posted on: 3:20 am on July 19, 2006
|
|
PussyLover 69
|
Report from Bangkok Post dated Thursday 20 July 2006 :-
Baggage test for airport next week
==========================
Domestic commercial test flights late next week will test Suvarnabhumi's ability to handle baggage, one of the main worries for staff working on the opening of the new airport.
Airports of Thailand president Chotisak Asapaviriya declared yesterday the ''physical'' readiness of the airport, such as safety of the buildings. But he admitted that staff were still concerned about the efficiency of the luggage handling system.
The airport will open for all local airlines to test landing systems and services for one day on July 29. The airlines participating in the test are Thai Airways International, Nok Air, Thai AirAsia, PB Air, Orient Thai and Bangkok Airways.
Technicians are testing the system's ability to handle 10,000 pieces of luggage, with an accuracy rate of 95%. The system's main problem is in reading the attached code showing a bag's destination.
Bomb detection scanners must also check all of the bags before they are loaded onto the aircraft, which slows down things even further.
Mr Chotisak said officials were working on how to improve the accuracy rate because once it is opened officially on Sept 28, the airport will have to handle 30,000 pieces of luggage at peak hour.
About 500 soldiers will also be on hand on July 29 to handle luggage in case the system develops a problem. Transport Minister Pongsak Raktapongpaisal said it was a standard back-up for a test phase. Other services also have back-up plans in case of problems.
Yesterday representatives of domestic airlines, the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority, Aeronautical Radio of Thailand and the Aviation Department met AoT chairman Srisook Chandrangsu to discuss arrangements.
The BMTA will today start operating seven new bus services which end at the new airport in Samut Prakan's Bang Phli district. The new routes run from Happy Land, Bang Kapi, Victory Monument, Rangsit and Don Muang airport, and two lines from Samut Prakan city.
|
Bangkok Girls : Meet Attractive Thai Girls
Posted on: 8:39 am on July 20, 2006
|
|
PussyLover 69
|
Report from The Nation dated Thursday 20 July 2006 :-
Flying on a wing and a prayer
=======================
As the test flights on July 29 draw near, all agencies involved with the opening of the Suvarnabhumi International Airport have been meeting on a daily basis.
Obviously, they want to make sure that the test flights will be problem-free and pave the way for a smooth airport opening on September 28.
Still, like the history of the airport itself, there have been several strange developments.
First, airport certification. No commercial airline can operate flights from an airport where security standards have not yet been certified by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). The concerns are understandable as the airlines would need to shoulder any damages that occur from mishaps.
But the government has waved a magic wand. The Civil Aviation Department has agreed to issue an interim certification to pave the way for commercial operations from July 29 to September 28, when the airport is scheduled to open.
That is the first interim issue.
Then there's the ticketing symbol. Until September 28, Bangkok International Airport will remain the only official airport in Bangkok. Right now, all bag tags carry the symbol "BKK" which indicates that the bags are to be transported to Bangkok.
But now that the test flights will wing to and from Suvarnabhumi on July 29, what symbol should the airport tags use?
The problem is solved. Airports of Thailand Plc (AOT), which operates both airports, decided yesterday to use "NBK" temporarily until September 28.
Good news that the symbol is only temporary, though. Once Suvarnabhumi takes over the official airport title of Bangkok International Airport, the symbol would then revert to "BKK".
That looks nice. "BKK" has been known for a long time as the abbreviation of Bangkok, capital city of Thailand. But what does "NBK" represent? If we are to use "NBK", there are two things that I can think that "N" stands for.
First, it could refer to New Bangkok International Airport, the original name of the company that was in charge of the airport development - a company which has already been taken over by AOT.
Second, it could mean Nong Ngu Hao, the original name of the site where the new airport is located. Surely, this is not a noble reference, given that the words mean "cobra swamp" in English and reminds Thais of the many hardships over the past 40 years in developing the airport.
In the first 30 years, there were hot debates about where the new airport should be located but we ended up at Nong Ngu Hao - the land of cobras!
AOT is wise to use "NBK" only temporarily. When confronted with a new dilemma, it's best to hatch only "interim" solutions.
|
Thai Girls : Meet Active Thai Girls
Posted on: 8:48 am on July 20, 2006
|
|
PussyLover 69
|
Report from The Nation dated Friday 21 July 2006 :-
AOT leaves new airport buildings uninsured
=================================
Suvarnabhumi Airport may not be covered for the test flights which take place next week
Airports of Thailand (AOT) has not yet taken out any insurance coverage for Suvarnabhumi Airport, despite its first "commercial" flights taking place on July 29, say sources.
The ITO Consortium, the new airport's contractor, has paid for the only insurance thus far, and that covers only the period of construction.
Dhipaya Insurance and ITO recently sent letters to AOT warning the company that Suvarnabhumi Airport needs property insurance to cover any damage that may occur from third-party contractors, such as those hired by airline companies and work inside the airport but are not covered by ITO's insurance. The sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that when the airport opens for the first "commercial" flights on July 29, it would require general liability insurance.
"It's very worrying. For instance, if on the opening date a passenger lights a cigarette and something happens, the contractor's insurance wouldn't cover that, because it is no longer within the construction period. The commercial flights have begun," said the sources.
AOT has argued that the flights planned for that day are test runs and do not constitute commercial flights, and thus the contractor's insurance should cover any accidents that may occur.
However, AOT's official press statement, released on June 20 and still available on its website at http://www.airportthai.co.th, referred to the scheduled flights by Thai Airways International and five other local airlines on July 29 as "the first commercial flights".
The source said Dhipaya and international reinsurers inspected the new airport on June 7 and submitted a letter on July 13 proposing insurance fees and quotes, but AOT has not yet replied.
An executive with Dhipaya, which is partially state-owned, said airlines would provide insurance for their passengers, and as for the airport itself, the contractor had not yet completed and handed over the assets to AOT.
"The issues are whether the July 29 flights are commercial, and if there were an accident, who would bear responsibility, AOT or ITO?"
Some foreign experts say the July 29 flights should be treated as a routine commercial run, since the airlines are collecting fares from the passengers. But AOT insists that these are test flights, because all revenues derived from them will be donated to His Majesty the King, says the Dhipaya executive.
"Dhipaya is hiring a foreign expert to study the issue, and we're optimistic it will be resolved by July 29," said the executive.
AOT executives did not return calls from The Nation.
Thai Airways plans two flights on July 29: one from Don Muang Airport to Suvarnabhumi for Bt999 and the other from Chiang Mai to Suvarnabhumi and then on to Phuket for Bt2,999. Five other airlines will also fly on that day: Nok Air, Thai AirAsia, Orient Thai, PB Air and Bangkok Airways.
|
Thai Women : Meet Matured Thai Women
Posted on: 12:13 am on July 21, 2006
|
|
PussyLover 69
|
Report from The Nation dated Friday 21 July 2006 :-
Low-cost terminal to be built at Suvarnabhumi
===================================
A separate terminal for low-cost airlines is to be built at Bangkok's new Suvarnabhumi Airport at a cost of about Bt600 million.
After proposing the new terminal about a month ago, the three leading low-cost operators, AirAsia, Nok Air and One Two Go, learned of the green light for the new building at a meeting yesterday with the Civil Aviation Department and related agencies. Construction is expected to begin in the next few months.
Earlier, the government decided that all domestic, international, and low-cost airlines would be moved from the old Don Muang Airport to Suvarnabhumi in time for full-scale commercial operations to kick off at the new airport on September 28.
Some low-cost operators said they preferred to stay at Don Muang because of the lower operational costs there.
However, Airports of Thailand Plc (AOT), which runs both airports, has decided to move all airlines to Suvarnabhumi and close all operations at Don Muang except maintenance work and private jet traffic.
AirAsia chief executive Tassapon Bijleveld said the Transport Ministry has approved development of the new terminal and the Civil Aviation Department and AOT will be responsible for its construction.
Alongside the striking architecture of Suvarnabhumi's main terminal, what does Tassapon expect for the appearance of the new low-cost terminal?
"Building the low-cost terminal is so easy," he said. "We need a space about the size of a football field with an uncomplicated roof."
He said the three low-cost operators wanted their own terminal because of their special needs and, in particular, lower costs than other airlines will pay at the new airport.
The total number of passengers carried by the three low-cost airlines will be between five million and six million this year and this is expected to rise to 10 million in the next two years, he said. The three airlines generate revenue of Bt5 billion and this will gradually increase in line with passenger growth.
Both Singapore and Malaysia have recently opened low-cost terminals at their main airports. In Singapore, passengers using the main airport terminal pay an airport tax of US$14 (Bt530) per person, compared to $7 (Bt265) per person when using the low-cost terminal.
AirAsia expects its total number of passengers to increase from 1.8 million last year to three million this year. However, profit growth will decrease because of higher costs.
The three no-frills airlines are talking about increasing their fares and fuel surcharges soon, in the light of increased operating costs arising from oil price rises.
|
Bangkok Girls : Meet Attractive Thai Girls
Posted on: 12:17 am on July 21, 2006
|
|
| |
|
