Suvarnabhumi Airport

Suvarnabhumi Airport
ท่าอากาศยานสุวรรณภูมิ
Summary
Airport type Public
Operator Airports of Thailand PCL (AOT)
Serves Bangkok and Samut Prakan
Location 999 Moo 1 Tambon Racha Thewa, Bang Phli District, Samut Prakan, Thailand
Hub for
Focus city for
Elevation AMSL 5 ft / 2 m
Coordinates 13°41′33″N 100°45′00″E / 13.69250°N 100.75000°E / 13.69250; 100.75000Coordinates: 13°41′33″N 100°45′00″E / 13.69250°N 100.75000°E / 13.69250; 100.75000
Website suvarnabhumiairport.com
Map
BKK
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
01R/19L 4,000 13,123 Asphalt
01L/19R 3,700 12,139 Asphalt
3rd Runway (Planning) 3,700 12,139 Asphalt
Statistics (2016)
Total passengers 55,892,428 Increase4.14%
International passengers 46,049,914 Increase5.65%
Domestic passengers 9,842,514 Increase13.35%
Aircraft movements 336,345 Increase6.08%
Freight (tonnes) 1,351,878 Increase5.82%
Sources: Airport[1]

Suvarnabhumi Airport (rtgs: Suwannaphum;  [sù.wān.ná.pʰūːm][2]) (IATA: BKK, ICAO: VTBS), also known as (New) Bangkok International Airport, is one of two international airports serving Bangkok, Thailand. The other one is Don Mueang International Airport.[3][4] Suvarnabhumi covers an area of 3,240 hectares (8,000 acres), making it one of the biggest international airports in Southeast Asia and a regional hub for aviation.

Suvarnabhumi was officially opened for limited domestic flight service on 15 September 2006, and opened for most domestic and all international commercial flights on 28 September 2006.[5]

The airport is currently the main hub for Thai Airways International, Thai Smile Airways, and Bangkok Airways. It also serves as regional gateway and connecting point for various foreign carriers.

The airport is on what had formerly been known as Nong Nguhao (Cobra Swamp) in Racha Thewa in Bang Phli, Samut Prakan, about 25 kilometres (16 mi) east of downtown Bangkok. The terminal building was designed by Helmut Jahn of Murphy / Jahn Architects. It was constructed primarily by ITO JV. The airport has the world's tallest free-standing control tower (132.2 metres or 434 feet), and the world's fourth largest single-building airport terminal (563,000 square metres or 6,060,000 square feet).

Suvarnabhumi is the twentieth busiest airport in the world, ninth busiest airport in Asia, and the busiest in the country, having handled 53 million passengers in 2012,[6] and is also a major air cargo hub, with a total of 95 airlines. On social networks, Suvarnabhumi was the world's most popular site for taking Instagram photographs in 2012.[7]

The airport inherited the airport code, BKK, from Don Mueang after the older airport ceased international commercial flights. The modern Motorway 7 connects the airport, Bangkok, and the heavily industrial eastern seaboard of Thailand, where most export manufacturing takes place.

Etymology

The name Suvarnabhumi is Sanskrit for "Land of Gold" (Devanagari: स्वर्णभूमि, IAST: Svarṇabhūmi; Svarṇa is "Gold", Bhūmi is "Land"; literally "Golden Land"). The name was chosen by the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, and refers to the Hindu-Buddhist golden kingdom, theorised to have been located to the east of the Ganges, possibly somewhere in Southeast Asia. In Thailand, government proclamations and national museums insist that Suvarnabhumi was somewhere in the coast of central plain, near the ancient city of U Thong, which might be the origin of the Indianised Dvaravati culture.[8] Although the claims have not been substantiated by any historical records, the Thai government named the new Bangkok airport Suvarnabhumi Airport, in celebration of this tradition.

History

Terminal interior
Border between the concourse and the terminal seen from the arrival area
Terminal
Departure hall
A play area, entitled Wonder World, at the airport's departure lounge
A depiction of the Samudra manthan at the airport

Land purchase, early construction

The need for the new airport was recognized in 1973 when 8,000 acres of land was purchased 40 kilometres east of Bangkok. The site, known as Cobra Swamp, was drained and named Suvarnabhumi, meaning "realm of gold". On 14 October 1973, student-led protests led to the overthrow of the military government of Prime Minister Thanom Kittikachorn and the project was shelved.

After a series of ups and downs, the "New Bangkok International Airport" company (NBIA) was formed in 1996. Due to political and economic instabilities, notably the Asian financial crisis of 1997, construction did not begin until six years later in January 2002 by the government of Thaksin Shinawatra.

Early construction, airport tests, and official opening

The airport was due to open in late 2005, but a series of budget overruns, construction flaws, and allegations of corruption plagued the project.

A further delay was caused by the discovery that the airport had been built over an old graveyard. Superstitious construction workers claimed to have seen ghosts there. On 23 September 2005, the Thai airports authority held a ceremony where 99 Buddhist monks chanted to appease the spirits.[9]

Full tests of the airport took place on 3 and 29 July 2006. Six airline—Thai Airways International, Nok Air, Thai Air Asia, Bangkok Airways, PBair, and One-Two-GO—used the airport as a base for twenty domestic flights.[10][11] The first international test flights were conducted on 1 September 2006. Two Thai Airways aircraft, a Boeing 747-400 and an Airbus A300-600, simultaneously departed the airport at 09:19 to Singapore and Hong Kong. At 15:50 the same aircraft flew back and made simultaneous touchdowns on runways 19L and 19R. These test flights demonstrated the readiness of the airport to handle traffic.

On 15 September 2006, the airport started limited daily operations with Jetstar Asia Airways operating three Singapore to Bangkok flights. Bangkok Airways moved to the airport on 21 September. AirAsia and Thai AirAsia followed on 25 September and on 26 September Nok Air moved to Suvarnabhumi Airport. During this initial phase, as well as in the previous tests, the airport used the temporary IATA code NBK.

Suvarnabhumi officially opened at 03:00 on 28 September 2006, taking over all flights from Don Mueang. The first flight to arrive was a Lufthansa Cargo flight LH8442 from Mumbai at 03:05.[12] The first commercial arrival was Japan Airlines at 03:30. The first passenger arrival was Aerosvit flight VV171 from Kiev at 04:30, and the first cargo departure was Saudi Arabian Airlines flight SV-984 to Riyadh at 05:00.[13] Aerosvit also had the first passenger departure (VV172 to Kiev) around 05:30.[14]

Initial difficulties

Difficulties were reported in the first few days of the airport's operation. On the first day alone, sluggish luggage handling was common—the first passenger arrival by Aerosvit took an hour for the luggage to start coming out, and some flights did not have their luggage coming out even after four hours. Flights were delayed (Thai Airways claimed that 17 of 19 flights were delayed that day), and there were failures with the check-in system.[15][16] Subsequent problems included the failure of the cargo computer system, and the departure boards displaying the wrong information, resulting in confused passengers (especially as unlike Don Mueang, there were no "final calls" issued).[17]

Months after its opening, issues of congestion, construction quality, signage, provision of facilities, and soil subsidence continued to plague the project, prompting calls to reopen Don Mueang to allow for repairs to be made.[18] Expert opinions varied widely on the extent of Suvarnabhumi's problems as well as their root cause. Most airlines stated that damage to the airport was minimal.[19][20] Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont reopened Don Mueang for domestic flights on a voluntary basis on 16 February 2007, with 71 weekly flights moved back initially, but no international flights.[21]

Capacity and safety issues

Tarmac problems

In January 2007, ruts were discovered in the runways at Suvarnabhumi.[22] The east runway was scheduled to close for repairs. Expert opinions varied as to the cause of the ruts.[19] Airport authorities and airline representatives maintained that the airport was still safe and resisted suggestions that the airport should be completely closed and all flights moved back to Don Mueang.[23]

On 27 January 2007, the Department of Civil Aviation declined to renew the airport's safety certificate, which had expired the previous day. The ICAO requires that international airports hold aerodrome safety certificates, but Suvarnabhumi continued to operate because the ICAO requirement had yet to be adopted as part of Thai law.[24]

As of early-2016 tarmac problems persist at Suvarnabhumi. Soft spots on the tarmac, taxiways, and apron area have not been permanently fixed. Aircraft get stuck on the soft surfaces that are the result of sub-standard materials. "The constant resurfacing of the tarmac, taxiways and apron area with asphalt is an unacceptable patchwork solution. We literally need a "concrete" solution," said Tony Tyler, IATA's director general and CEO.[25]

Plans to re-open Don Mueang for domestic flights

In January 2007, Thai Airways announced a plan to move some of its domestic operations back to Don Mueang International Airport due to overcrowding. Three days later, the Ministry of Transport recommended temporarily reopening Don Mueang while repair work on the runways at Suvarnabhumi proceeded. At that time, Thai Airways said it would shift most of its domestic flights back to Don Mueang while keeping flights with high international passenger connections such as Chiang Mai and Phuket at Suvarnabhumi. On 28 March 2009, Thai Airways discontinued all domestic flights from Don Mueang. Bangkok Airways and One-Two-GO had similar plans, but Bangkok Airways remained at Suvarnabhumi. Thai AirAsia said it would not move unless it could shift both its international and domestic operations, prompting them to stay at Suvarnabhumi for the time being. Nok Air and PBair were undecided, but Nok Air later relocated all flights to Don Mueang, where they operate today.[26][27] As of January 2010, only Nok Air and One-Two-Go operated domestic flights from Don Mueang Airport. PBair have ceased operations altogether. One-Two-Go was integrated into Orient Thai Airlines in July 2010, but continues to operate from Don Mueang Airport. As of 1 October 2012 Air Asia has moved all of its Bangkok operations to Don Mueang International Airport (DMK) from Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK).[28]

Thai Airbus A340-500 (HS-TLA) at Suvarnabhumi Airport.

Repair and upgrades

Airports of Thailand found that the cost of fixing 60 identified problems at the airport would be less than one percent of the total airline cost and the problems could be fixed in up to four to five years. Dr Narupol Chaiyut, a member of a committee overseeing service problems at the new airport, estimated that 70 percent of the problems would be fixed in 2007. Twenty of the 60 problems were successfully fixed by February 2007.[29]

Features

Suvarnabhumi Airport's main terminal roof is designed with structural elements and bays placed in a cantilevered, wavelike form to appear to "float" over the concourse beneath. This overall design principle was to express the former essence of the site, from which water had to be drained before construction could begin. The eight composite 2,710-ton trusses supporting the canopy of the main terminal are essentially diagrams of the bending moments acting on them, with the greatest depth at mid-span and over the supports.[30]

The result of Helmut Jahn's vision is a structure with performance materials serve in their total composition and in use more than in their conventional roles. This maximizes daylight use in comfort with substantial energy life-cycle cost savings. The installed cooling system reduced up to 50 percent compared to a conventional system. A translucent membrane with three layers was developed to mediate between the interior and exterior climate, dealing with noise and temperature transmission, while still allowing natural flow of daylight into building.[31]

Events

Suvarnabhumi Airport Control Tower, the world's tallest

On 25 January 2007, due to work upgrading the taxiways which suffered from small cracks, a few incoming flights were delayed and several flights were safely diverted to U-Tapao International Airport in Rayong Province.[32]

On 26 November 2008, an illegal occupation of the airport took place by People's Alliance for Democracy, closing the departure lounge and blocking exits and leaving almost 3,000 passengers stranded in the main terminal and another 350,000 stranded inside the country, as all flights were grounded. The People's Alliance for Democracy seized the control tower at 12:00.[33] On 2 December 2008, protesters agreed to leave the airport as they had been illegally protesting and permitted the resumption of flights. Security checks, clean-ups, and re-certification once the illegal occupation ended delayed the airport from being fully functional until 5 December 2008.[34]

Predatory irregularities

Petty thieves and confidence men, the majority of them illegal taxi drivers or tour guides, are known to prey on tourists in the arrival hall. They belong to politically-well connected criminal groups: Kamnan Samruay, Boonruang Srisang, Sak Pakphanang, the Pattaya Mafia and Phuyai Daeng.[35] Evicting them has proved difficult as they allegedly are well connected. (The head of the Pirap gang is supposedly related to an Airports of Thailand executive, while the Phuyai Daeng has ties to influential civil servants in Samut Prakan).[35]

On 1 October 2010, two hundred armed men occupied the airport's parking area for an hour, blocking the building's entrances and seizing ticket booths to collect fares from motorists.[36] Airport security personnel failed to respond, reportedly because of an internal dispute within the parking management company, the firm contracted to run the parking facilities.[36]

Specifications

Current Airport layout

Costing an estimated 155 billion baht (US$5 billion), the airport has two parallel runways (60 m wide, 4,000 m and 3,700 m long) and two parallel taxiways to accommodate simultaneous departures and arrivals.[37] It has a total of 120 parking bays (51 with contact gates and 69 remote gates), with five of these capable of accommodating the Airbus A380. The main passenger terminal building, with a capacity of handling 76 flight operations per hour, co-locates the international and domestic terminals, though assigning them to different parts of the concourse. In the initial phase of construction, it will be capable of handling 45 million passengers and three million tonnes of cargo per year. Above the underground rail link station and in front of the passenger terminal building is a 600-room hotel operated by Accor Group under the Novotel brand.

The airport's passenger terminal is the world's largest passenger terminal ever constructed in one phase at 563,000 square metres (6,060,000 sq ft), and is also currently the fourth biggest passenger terminal building in the world, after the Hong Kong International Airport (570,000 square metres or 6,100,000 square feet), Beijing Capital International Airport (990,000 square metres or 10,700,000 square feet), with the largest passenger terminal at Dubai International Airport (Terminal 3 is over 1,713,000 square metres or 18,440,000 square feet). The airport air-traffic control tower is the tallest in the world at 135 metres (443 ft).

Suvarnabhumi Airport has 72 jet bridges and 69 non-jet bridges. Additionally, flights are able to park at remote locations on the ramp, from which airport buses transport passengers to and from the terminal. Suvarnabhumi Airport has 18 jet bridges and 6 non-jet bridges for Airbus 380–800

From the opening of Suvarnabhumi in 2006 to early 2017, eight people had fallen to their deaths from upper-floor walkways, prompting the airport to spend 33 million baht in 2013 building glass barriers to stop people falling or taking their lives.[38]

Expansion

On 15 December 2011 Airports of Thailand (AOT) announced the speed up of the second phase expansion of Suvarnabhumi Airport to 2016, one year ahead of its scheduled completion in 2017.

An investment of 62.5 billion baht (US$1.95 billion/€1.49 billion) is being planned for the second phase, according to then-Transport Minister Sukampol Suwannathat. The plan is to strengthen Suvarnabhumi Airport's position as a regional aviation hub. Phase Two would raise the airport's capacity to 65 million passengers a year and would be undertaken in parallel with the construction of the new domestic terminal.[39]

Former Transport Minister ACM Sukampol Suwannathat gave the green light to Airports of Thailand (AoT)'s plan to carry out the expansion of Suvarnabhumi airport with the construction of a new domestic terminal. The new domestic terminal will be capable of handling 20 million passengers a year. Estimated cost is 9.2 billion baht.(US$2.96 billion/€2.04 billion).

By mid-2015, the airport was handling more than 800 flights per day, higher than its 600-flight capacity. It has exceeded its capacity of 45 million passengers per year.[40]

The two expansion projects are part of the overall airport enlargement that would see Suvarnabhumi raise its annual passenger handling capacity to 125 million passengers, 90 million international and 35 million domestic passengers by 2024 at an estimated cost of 163 billion baht.(US$5.25 billion/€3.62 billion) The expansion includes the construction of one additional runway, subsequent enlargement of domestic and international terminals, and improvements to parking bays, car parks, and other airport infrastructure.[41]

An expansion plan to increase the passenger capacity of the airport to 65 million by building an additional satellite passenger terminal linked to the current main terminal via an underground automated people mover (APM) system is set to be voted on by the AOT board during a 17 May 2012 meeting. If the plan gains endorsement by the board it will be able to proceed to appointing a project management consultant (PMC) which will bring it one step closer to commencing construction on the much needed expansion. If all goes to plan the expansion is set to be completed in 2018. The expansion also includes a plan to expand the airport parking garage as well as the expansion of the eastern end of the main passenger terminal by 135 meters along with the construction of a new airline office building. The expansion does include plans to construct a third runway of 3,700 meters. According to the Bangkok Post, the new satellite terminal will have a total of 28 gates, with eight for the Airbus A380 super jumbo jet.[42]

The new passenger terminal will be used only by Bangkok Airways and flag carrier Thai Airways (and its budget subsidiary Thai Smile). Upon completion of satellite terminal, expected opening in early 2019, other Star Alliance members will be given a check-in concourse of Thai Airways.[43]

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

AirlinesDestinations
Aeroflot Moscow–Sheremetyevo
Aeroflot
operated by Rossiya
Seasonal Charter: Moscow–Vnukovo
Air Astana Almaty, Astana
Air Austral Saint–Denis de la Réunion
Air China Beijing–Capital, Hangzhou, Tianjin
Air France Paris–Charles de Gaulle
Air India Chandigarh (begins 29 October 2017), [44] Delhi, Mumbai
Air Macau Macau
All Nippon Airways Tokyo–Haneda, Tokyo–Narita
Asia Atlantic Airlines Denpasar/Bali, Harbin, Sapporo–Chitose, Shenyang
Asiana Airlines Seoul–Incheon
Austrian Airlines Vienna
Azerbaijan Airlines Baku (begins 29 October 2017)[45]
Azur Air Seasonal Charter: Barnaul, Moscow–Domodedovo, Novosibirsk, Omsk, Rostov-on-Don, Surgut, Tyumen
Bangkok Airways Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Da Nang, Dhaka, Ko Samui, Krabi, Lampang, Luang Prabang, Malé, Mandalay, Mumbai, Phnom Penh, Phu Quoc (begins 29 October 2017),[46] Phuket, Siem Reap, Sukhothai, Trat, Vientiane, Yangon
Beijing Capital Airlines Guiyang, Xi'an, Zhanjiang
Biman Bangladesh Airlines Dhaka
Bhutan Airlines Gaya, Kolkata, Thimphu/Paro
British Airways London–Heathrow
Cathay Pacific Hong Kong, Singapore
Cebu Pacific Manila
China Airlines Kaohsiung, Taipei–Taoyuan
China Eastern Airlines Chengdu, Kunming, Lanzhou, Nanchang, Nanjing, Ningbo, Qingdao, Shanghai–Pudong, Wenzhou, Wuhan, Wuxi, Taiyuan, Xi'an, Xining, Yinchuan
Seasonal: Beijing–Capital, Hangzhou, Hefei
China Southern Airlines Changsha, Guangzhou, Guilin, Guiyang, Jieyang, Lanzhou, Nanning, Shenyang, Shenzhen, Urumqi, Wuhan, Zhengzhou
Druk Air Bagdogra, Gaya, Guwahati, Kolkata, Thimphu/Paro
Eastar Jet Jeju, Seoul–Incheon
EgyptAir Cairo
El Al Tel Aviv–Ben Gurion
Emirates Dubai–International, Hong Kong, Sydney
Ethiopian Airlines Addis Ababa
Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi
Eurowings
operated by SunExpress Deutschland
Seasonal: Cologne/Bonn, Munich (begins 15 June 2018)[47]
EVA Air Amsterdam, London–Heathrow, Taipei–Taoyuan, Vienna
Finnair Helsinki
Flydubai Dubai–International
Garuda Indonesia Jakarta–Soekarno–Hatta, Mumbai
Gulf Air Bahrain
Hainan Airlines Beijing–Capital, Haikou, Nanning, Sanya
Hebei Airlines Shijiazhuang
Hong Kong Airlines Hong Kong
IndiGo Kolkata
Japan Airlines Nagoya–Centrair, Osaka–Kansai, Tokyo–Haneda, Tokyo–Narita
JC International Airlines Phnom Penh
Jeju Air Busan, Seoul–Incheon
Jet Airways Delhi, Mumbai
Jet Asia Airways Tokyo–Narita, Jakarta-Soekarno Hatta
Jetstar Airways Melbourne
Jetstar Asia Airways Singapore
Jetstar Pacific Airlines Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hue
Charter: Cam Ranh
Jin Air Seoul–Incheon
Seasonal: Jeju
Juneyao Airlines Shanghai–Pudong, Shenyang
Kenya Airways Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Nairobi–Jomo Kenyatta
KLM Amsterdam
Korean Air Busan, Seoul–Incheon
Kuwait Airways Kuwait
Lao Airlines Luang Prabang, Savannakhet, Vientiane, Pakse
LOT Polish Airlines Seasonal Charter: Warsaw–Chopin
Lucky Air Kunming
Lufthansa Frankfurt
Mahan Air Tehran–Imam Khomeini
Malaysia Airlines Kuala Lumpur–International
Maldivian Chengdu, Malé[48]
Myanmar Airways International Mandalay, Yangon
Myanmar National Airlines Mandalay, Yangon
Nepal Airlines Kathmandu
Nordwind Airlines Seasonal Charter: Arkhangelsk, Khabarovsk, Mineralnye Vody, Rostov-on-Don, St. Petersburg, Yuzhno–Sakhalinsk
Norwegian Air Shuttle
operated by Norwegian Long Haul
Copenhagen, Oslo–Gardermoen, Stockholm–Arlanda
Okay Airways Tianjin, Xi'an
Oman Air Muscat
Orient Thai Airlines Hong Kong
Peach Naha
Philippine Airlines Manila
Qantas Sydney
Qatar Airways Doha, Hanoi
Regent Airways Chittagong, Dhaka
Royal Brunei Airlines Bandar Seri Begawan
Royal Flight Seasonal Charter: Barnaul, Kazan, Kemerovo, Krasnoyarsk, Novosibirsk, Omsk, Vladivostok
Royal Jordanian Amman–Queen Alia, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur–International
S7 Airlines Irkutsk, Novosibirsk
Seasonal: Krasnoyarsk–Yemelyanovo, Vladivostok
Scoot Singapore
Shandong Airlines Jinan, Kunming, Qingdao, Urumqi, Xiamen
Shanghai Airlines Beijing–Capital, Chongqing, Shanghai–Pudong, Wenzhou
Shenzhen Airlines Fuzhou, Jieyang, Nanjing (begins 10 August 2017), Quanzhou, Shenzhen, Wuxi, Xi'an, Yuncheng (begins 10 August 2017)[49]
Seasonal: Guangzhou
Sichuan Airlines Chengdu, Haikou, Sanya
Singapore Airlines Singapore
SpiceJet Delhi, Kolkata
Spring Airlines Beihai, Changchun, Changzhou, Chengdu, Dalian, Fuzhou, Harbin, Hangzhou, Hohhot, Jinan, Lanzhou, Luoyang, Nanchang, Ningbo, Shanghai–Pudong, Shenyang, Shijiazhuang, Yangzhou, Yinchuan
SriLankan Airlines Colombo, Guangzhou
Swiss International Air Lines Zürich
Thai Airways Auckland, Bangalore, Beijing–Capital, Brisbane, Brussels, Busan, Chengdu, Chennai, Chiang Mai, Colombo, Copenhagen, Delhi, Dhaka, Denpasar/Bali, Dubai–International, Frankfurt, Fukuoka, Guangzhou, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Hyderabad, Islamabad, Jakarta–Soekarno–Hatta, Karachi, Kathmandu, Koh Samui, Kolkata, Krabi, Kunming, Kuala Lumpur–International, Lahore, London–Heathrow, Manila, Melbourne, Milan–Malpensa, Moscow–Domodedovo, Mumbai, Munich, Muscat, Nagoya–Centrair, Osaka–Kansai, Oslo–Gardermoen, Paris–Charles de Gaulle, Perth, Phnom Penh, Phuket, Rome–Fiumicino, Sapporo–Chitose, Seoul–Incheon, Shanghai–Pudong, Singapore, Stockholm–Arlanda, Sydney, Taipei–Taoyuan, Tehran–Imam Khomeini, Tokyo–Haneda, Tokyo–Narita, Vienna (resumes 16 November 2017),[50] Vientiane, Xiamen, Yangon, Zürich
Hajj Charter: Jeddah, Medina[51]
Seasonal Charter: Aomori, Iwate, Komatsu, Sendai
Thai Smile Changsha, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Chittagong, Chongqing, Hat Yai, Jaipur, Khon Kaen, Kota Kinabalu, Krabi, Kuala Lumpur–International, Luang Prabang (resumes 1 October 2017),[52] Lucknow, Mandalay, Narathiwat, Penang, Phnom Penh, Phuket, Siem Reap, Surat Thani, Ubon Ratchathani, Udon Thani, Vientiane, Yangon, Zhengzhou
Seasonal: Gaya, Kaohsiung (begins 1 October 2017),[53] Varanasi
Thai Vietjet Air Chiang Mai, Hai Phong, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Phuket
Seasonal: Gaya
Charter: Can Tho, Hualien,[54] Hue, Taichung,[55] Thanh Hoa
Turkish Airlines Istanbul–Atatürk
Turkmenistan Airlines Ashgabat
T'way Airlines Seoul–Incheon
Ukraine International Airlines Kiev–Boryspil
Ural Airlines Beijing–Capital, Changchun, Harbin, Irkutsk,[56] Khabarovsk, Ordos[56]
Seasonal: Vladivostok
US-Bangla Airlines Chittagong, Dhaka
Uzbekistan Airways Tashkent
VietJet Air Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City
Vietnam Airlines Da Nang, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City
XiamenAir Dalian, Fuzhou, Hangzhou, Quanzhou, Xiamen

Cargo

AirlinesDestinations
Air Hong Kong Hong Kong, Penang
ANA Cargo Osaka–Kansai, Singapore, Taipei–Taoyuan, Tokyo–Narita
Asiana Cargo Seoul–Incheon
Cardig Air Hong Kong, Jakarta–Soekarno–Hatta, Singapore
Cargolux Baku, Luxembourg, Shanghai–Pudong, Xiamen
Cathay Pacific Cargo Hong Kong, Penang, Singapore
China Airlines Cargo Abu Dhabi, Chengdu, Luxembourg, Taipei–Taoyuan
China Cargo Airlines Shanghai–Pudong
DHL Aviation
operated by AeroLogic[57]
Leipzig/Halle
EVA Air Cargo[58] Jakarta–Soekarno–Hatta, Penang, Singapore, Taipei–Taoyuan
FedEx Express Guangzhou, Penang
K-Mile Air Ho Chi Minh City, Singapore, Jakarta–Soekarno–Hatta
Korean Air Cargo Seoul–Incheon, Singapore, Chennai
Lufthansa Cargo Frankfurt, Mumbai, Sharjah
MASKargo Kuala Lumpur–International
Nippon Cargo Airlines Singapore, Tokyo–Narita
Singapore Airlines Cargo Shanghai–Pudong, Singapore
Turkish Airlines Cargo[59] Almaty, Delhi, Istanbul–Atatürk, Tashkent, Lahore, Islamabad
UPS Airlines Cologne/Bonn, Mumbai
Yanda Airlines Coimbatore, Delhi, Pune, Seoul–Incheon, Shanghai–Pudong, Tokyo–Narita
Yangtze River Express Shanghai–Pudong

Traffic and statistics

Air France Airbus A340-313X takeoff from Suvarnabhumi Airport with an Emirates Boeing 777-300ER and a KLM Boeing 747-400 in the background.
EI-ETJ, a Kogalymavia Airbus A321 take off at Suvarnabhumi Airport, August 2014. This aircraft would be destroyed later in October 2015.
A Qatar Airways Boeing 777-300ER on approach to Suvarnabhumi Airport in 2012.
Thai Airways International Boeing 747-400 with Star Alliance livery at Suvarnabhumi Airport.
Thai Smile Airbus A320 parking at Gate A3, Suvarnabhumi Airport.

Busiest international routes

Busiest international routes to and from Suvarnabhumi Airport (2015)[60]
Rank Airport Passengers handled 2015 % Change
2014/15
1 Hong Kong Hong Kong 4,093,932 Increase35.5
2 Singapore Singapore 2,867,911Increase9.8
3 South Korea Seoul–Incheon 2,097,635Increase10
4 United Arab Emirates Dubai–International 1,622,093Increase16.8
5 China Shanghai–Pudong 1,410,767Increase46.6
6 Taiwan Taipei–Taoyuan 1,203,211Increase8.1
7 Japan Tokyo–Narita 1,147,888Decrease11.0
8 Japan Tokyo–Haneda 1,029,658Increase26
9 Vietnam Ho Chi Minh City 1,010,569Increase43.5
10 China Guangzhou 934,901Increase24.3
11 Qatar Doha 916,862Increase38.4
12 Malaysia Kuala Lumpur–International 864,057Decrease2.7
13 Vietnam Hanoi 848,422Increase8.6
14 China Beijing–Capital 830,125Increase17.5
15 United Arab Emirates Abu Dhabi 795,486Increase32
16 Myanmar Yangon 776,229Increase21
17 Philippines Manila 730,140Increase18
18 India Delhi 712,845Increase16.8
19 India Mumbai 699,752Increase21.6
20 United Kingdom London–Heathrow 664,599Increase7.2
21 Australia Sydney 569,101Increase6.7
22 Germany Frankfurt 560,369Increase13.5
23 India Kolkata 557,607Increase30
24 Japan Osaka–Kansai 554,028Increase25
25 Cambodia Phnom Penh 549,214Increase14
26 France Paris–Charles de Gaulle 501,744Increase15.6
27 Netherlands Amsterdam 439,191Increase27.8
28 Australia Melbourne 418,007Increase9.7
29 South Korea Busan 414,359Increase8.8
30 Indonesia Jakarta–Soekarno–Hatta 396,186Increase17
31 Japan Nagoya–Centrair 377,133Increase17
32 China Shenzhen 363,350Increase20
33 Sri Lanka Colombo 353,418Increase26
34 Russia Moscow 325,522Increase10
35 Macau Macau 320,808Increase10
36 Turkey Istanbul–Atatürk 310,190Increase22
37 Switzerland Zürich 306,334Increase22
38 Oman Muscat 304,472Increase27
39 China Chengdu 298,327Increase8
40 Bangladesh Dhaka 287,239Increase5
41 China Kunming 284,863Increase17.4
42 Sweden Stockholm–Arlanda 282,030Increase15
43 Denmark Copenhagen 261,471Decrease0.4
44 China Changsha 254,258Decrease4.2
45 Japan Fukuoka 250,002Increase5.4
46 Finland Helsinki 243,998Increase7.5
47 Austria Vienna 235,419Increase9.6
48 Norway Oslo–Gardermoen 230,551Increase18
49 China Xiamen 224,910Increase6
50 China Hangzhou 221,023Increase4

Busiest domestic routes

Busiest domestic routes to and from Suvarnabhumi Airport (2015)
Rank Airport Passengers handled 2014 % Change
2014/15
Passengers Handled 2015
1 Phuket 2,359,875 Increase6.6 2,516,192
2 Chiang Mai 1,648,208 Increase4.7 1,726,487
3 Ko Samui 1,452,926 Increase4.51,517,985
4 Krabi 608,428 Increase2.3 622,129
5 Hat Yai 409,112 Increase17.0 478,613
6 Chiang Rai 406,629 Increase13.3 460,570
7 Udon Thani 420,974 Increase2.4 430,918
8 Khon Kaen 416,706 Decrease33.6 276,571
9 Ubon Ratchathani 163,275 Increase33.3 214,429
10 Surat Thani 148,428 Decrease1.2 146,719

Traffic by calendar year

Suvarnabhumi accounted for the largest share of air traffic at Thailand's airports in 2015, handling 52.9 million passengers, up by nearly 14 percent from the previous year despite its passenger capacity of only 45 million a year. International passengers passing through Suvarnabhumi grew 15.9 percent to 44.2 million, while domestic volume edged up 4.87 percent to 8.68 million. Aircraft movements showed a 9.50 percent increase to 317,066, consisting of 247,584 international (up 11 percent) and 69,482 domestic (up 4.41 percent).[61]

Passengers Change from previous year Movements Cargo
(tons)
2008 38,603,490 1,173,084
2009 40,500,224 Increase4.9% 1,045,194
2010 42,784,967 Increase5.6% 1,310,146
2011 47,910,744 Increase12.0% 299,566
2012* 53,002,328 Increase10.6% 312,493
2013 51,363,451 Decrease11.92% 288,004 1,236,223
2014 46,423,352 Decrease9.62% 289,568 1,234,176
2015 52,902,110 Increase13.96% 317,066 1,230,563
2016 55,892,428 Increase5.65% 336,345 1,351,878
Source: Airports Council International[62]
In 2012, the government enjoined all low-cost airlines to move their hubs to DMK in October.
Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport Passenger Totals (millions)

Ground transportation

Departure drop off curb
Taxis stand is located outside the arrival hall on the same level

The 30 billion baht Suvarnabhumi Airport Link was opened on 23 August 2010,[63] after multiple delays. The Airport Rail Link (ARL) is operated by SRTET, a subsidiary company of the State Railway of Thailand. The standard gauge line is 28.6 kilometers long and is elevated for most its length, running mostly above existing regional railway lines and parallel to Motorway 7 and Si Rat Expressway. There is a short at-grade/underground segment as the line approaches the passenger terminal building of Suvarnabhumi Airport.

The ARL hours of service are 06.00 to 24.00.[64] The ARL has two interchange stations, namely Phaya Thai (changing for BTS Green Line services) and Makkasan (linking Phetchaburi station of the MRT Blue Line). In the future, the ARL will complement the SRT Red Line commuter service, which comprises two-meter gauge, dual-track lines. The ARL may also be extended from Phaya Thai to Don Mueang via Bang Sue, given that the old Don Mueang International Airport has now been reopened for civil aviation under a dual-airport policy.

Regional train

Meanwhile, SRT provides a suburban commuter train service between Lad Krabang (the nearest station to Suvarnabhumi on the East line, one station from the airport by Airport Rail Link) and the northern suburban city of Rangsit via downtown Bangkok and the old Don Mueang Airport. The train also connects with BTS and MRT at Phaya Thai and Phetchaburi stations respectively. A shuttle bus service linking the airport with Hua Takhe railway station is provided by BMTA. The train service is currently not as popular as the bus service because it requires a shuttle bus connection. The service will be stopped when the Airport Express Link is completed.

Bus

A free bus service connecting Suvarnabhumi Airport and Don Mueang Airport operates from 05.00 until midnight. Three air-conditioned city bus routes are operated by Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) serve the airport's dedicated bus terminal

Car

The airport has five main access routes. Among these the most convenient route is via the Bangkok Chon Buri Motorway (Motorway 7). Another main airport entrance is in Samut Prakan Province via the expressway from Bang Na to Bang Pakong.

The airport has provided five entrance routes. The main route is via the motorway in the north of Bangkok, directly connecting Bangkok's downtown and Chonburi Province, the industrial and harbor city in eastern Thailand. However, another main airport entrance is in Samut Prakan Province, connecting an elevated highway in the south of Bangkok from Bang Na to Bang Pakong.

Sky Lane

Sky Lane at Suvarnabhumi Airport

In December 2015, the airport opened Sky Lane (Thai: สกายเลน), a bicycle lane around its perimeter. The cyclists can bring their bicycles and bike here for free. The entrance to Sky Lane is in the northeastern corner of the airport area. The Sky Lane is a one direction track made only for bicycles without any intersection or traffic light, so the cyclist can be ensured that users will not be bothered by any vehicle. The Sky Lane length is 23.5 km, making it the longest in Asia,[65] with restrooms and light posts along the pathway. The entrance gate is open from 06:00 to 19:00.

References

  1. "Air transport statistic 2016 summary" (PDF). Airports of Thailand PLC. January 23, 2017.
  2. "Suvarnabhumi Airport pronunciation: How to pronounce Suvarnabhumi Airport in Thai". Forvo.com. 2010-01-20. Retrieved 2017-03-04.
  3. "Don Mueang to be city budget air hub". Bankgok Post. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
  4. "AirAsia to shift to Don Mueang". Retrieved 2 July 2013.
  5. USA Today, "Bangkok's new airport opens to first commercial flights", USA Today, 15 September 2006.
  6. 2011 Statistics Archived 27 November 2011 at the Wayback Machine.
  7. Bangkok Post, "Suvarnabhumi, Paragon top Instagram places list". Bangkok Post, 29 December 2012.
  8. Damrong Rachanubhab, "History of Siam in the Period Antecedent to the Founding of Ayuddhya by King Phra Chao U Thong", Miscellaneous Articles: Written for the Journal of the Siam Society by His late Royal Highness Prince Damrong, Bangkok, 1962, pp.49-88, p.54; Promsak Jermsawatdi, Thai Art with Indian Influences, New Delhi, Abhinav Publications, 1979, pp.16-24. William J. Gedney, "A Possible Early Thai Route to the Sea", Journal of the Siam Society, Volume 76, 1988, pp.12-16.
  9. Richard Lloyd Parry, "Poo Ming – a blue ghost who haunts $4bn airport", The Times, 27 September 2006 Archived 10 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine.
  10. ThaiDay, "THAI discounts tickets for historic test flights", 1 July 2006.
  11. "PM Thaksin says Suvarnabhumi Airport ready in two months", MCOT, 29 July 2006. Archived 13 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine.
  12. Pennapa Hongthong, Just listen to our noisy nightmare, The Nation, 28 September 2006
  13. Petchanet Pratruangkrai, Suchat Sritama, Exporters pan new export fees, The Nation, 27 September 2006
  14. Kurt Hofmann, LH Cargo set to be first into Suvarnabhumi, ATW, 28 September 2006 Archived 27 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine.
  15. Suchat Sritma, Touch down...into chaos, 29 September 2006
  16. e-Travel Blackboard, Baggage ruffles up some feathers, but Suvarnabhumi still a success, 29 September 2006 Archived 27 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine.
  17. The Nation, Airport shippers hit by computer failure, 2 October 2006
  18. Some flight services will likely return the Don Muang Airport, The Nation, 29 January 2007. Archived 4 February 2007 at the Wayback Machine.
  19. 1 2 The Nation, Engineers unable to agree on root cause of airport cracks, 10 February 2007
  20. The Nation, THAI baulks at moving to Don Muang, 15 February 2007
  21. Thailand backtracks on plan for second international airport, Channel NewsAsia, 16 February 2007
  22. A Rough Takeoff for Bangkok's New Airport, Time, 25 January 2007
  23. New airport's east runway to close for repairs, return to Don Muang mooted, Thai News Agency, MCOT, 27 January 2007. Archived 13 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine.
  24. "Bangkok airport officially unsafe", CNN, 27 January 2007 Archived 29 January 2007 at the Wayback Machine.
  25. "Thailand needs to do more for higher aviation competitiveness: IATA". The Nation. 2016-02-18. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
  26. Use Don Muang during repairs: 2 airlines, The Nation, 27 January 2007.
  27. Move to use 2 airports gets mixed reception, The Nation, 31 January 2007.
  28. AirAsia moves to Don Mueang Airport (1 October 2012), Air Asia, 13 August 2012. Archived 15 September 2012 at the Wayback Machine.
  29. B1bn needed to fix terminal problems over four to five years, Bangkok Post, 16 February 2007
  30. University of Cincinnati, SUVARNABHUMI AIRPORT, September 2008 Archived 7 October 2011 at the Wayback Machine.
  31. E-Architect, Suvarnabhumi Airport Bangkok, 15 August 2008
  32. Thongrung, Watcharapong (2007-01-26). "Minister Admits: Some airlines afraid to use new airport". The Nation. Retrieved 3 September 2016.
  33. "BBC NEWS - Asia-Pacific - Thai protesters shut down airport". Retrieved 3 June 2015.
  34. Agence France-Presse. "(Update) Thai protesters agree to clear airport: protest leader". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved 3 June 2015.
  35. 1 2 "Crackdown fails to stop airport gangs". Bangkok Post 6 September 2009 Archived 17 September 2009 at the Wayback Machine.
  36. 1 2 "AoT orders firm to end dispute after car park seizure". Bangkok Post 2 October 2010
  37. Bangkok Post, New Bangkok Airport – Now Aiming For July 2006 Opening, 2005 Archived 20 January 2007 at the Wayback Machine.
  38. Mahitthirook, Amornrat; Chayutworakan, Suttiwit (31 March 2017). "Foreign man falls to death at Suvarnabhumi". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
  39. "2nd phase development to be finished one year ahead". The Nation. 15 December 2011. Retrieved 3 June 2015.
  40. Sritama, Suchat (2015-05-24). "Open-sky policy must continue, say airlines". The Sunday Nation. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
  41. Bangkok Post, Minister supports airport expansion, 30 August 2011.
  42. Kositchotethana, Boonsong (27 April 2012). "Suvarnabhumi expansion advances". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 13 September 2016.
  43. Kositchotethana, Boonsong (10 February 2015). "2 Thai carriers to share new terminal". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 13 September 2016.
  44. http://indianexpress.com/article/chandigarh/air-india-to-start-4-flights-a-week-from-chandigarh-to-bangkok-from-october-294757216/
  45. Liu, Jim. (21 June 2017). "Azerbaijan Airlines to add Bangkok flights in W17". Routesonline. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
  46. "Bangkok Airways proposes Phu Quoc launch in W17". routesonline. Retrieved 18 July 2017.
  47. http://www.routesonline.com/news/38/airlineroute/273710/eurowings-outlines-new-s18-long-haul-routes/
  48. http://www.maldivian.aero. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  49. "Shenzhen Airlines adds Yuncheng – Bangkok route from Aug 2017". routesonline. Retrieved 26 July 2017.
  50. http://www.thaipost.net/?q=node/32504. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  51. http://news.voicetv.co.th/business/509395.html. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  52. "THAI Smile files proposed new service in S17". routesonline. Retrieved 6 February 2017.
  53. http://www.routesonline.com/news/38/airlineroute/274162/thai-smile-adds-kaohsiung-service-from-oct-2017/
  54. http://m.focustaiwan.tw/news/aeco/201704140009.aspx. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  55. http://www.routesonline.com/news/38/airlineroute/273630/thai-vietjet-air-adds-taichung-scheduled-charter-in-3q17/. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  56. 1 2 Liu, Jim (2 June 2017). "Ural Airlines expands China - Thailand flights from July 2017". Routesonline. Retrieved 2 June 2017.
  57. "2013 summer schedule". Aero Logic. Retrieved 13 August 2013.
  58. EVA Air Cargo Schedule
  59. Turkish Airlines Cargo Winter Schedule
  60. "Microsoft Word - รวมเล่ม summary2015.docx" (PDF). Retrieved 2017-03-04. C1 control character in |title= at position 29 (help)
  61. Kositchotethana, Boonsong (2016-02-01). "AoT airports set new record in passenger traffic". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 1 February 2016.
  62. "Passenger Traffic 2010 FINAL". Airports Council International. 1 August 2012. Archived from the original on 29 April 2012. Retrieved 29 April 2012.
  63. "Airport Link to start commercial operation Aug 23". Mcot.net. Archived from the original on 4 March 2012. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
  64. "Airport Rail Link". Suvarnabhumiairport.com. 2016-01-15. Retrieved 2017-03-04.
  65. "Thailand to get Longest bicycle lane in Asia by 2017". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 16 April 2016.

Media related to Suvarnabhumi International Airport at Wikimedia Commons
Suvarnabhumi Airport travel guide from Wikivoyage

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.