Thai U-turn on Don Muang: It will now be for domestic flights

The Straits Times, February 17, 2007

Plans to make it a second international airport on hold after some airlines threaten to cut off service

BANGKOK - THAILAND yesterday backtracked on a plan to turn Bangkok's shuttered Don Muang airport into a second international hub, after a revolt by international airlines which threatened to cut off service.

Army-installed Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont said Don Muang would still reopen as a domestic airport, but backed down on a plan to move international flights there.

Instead, the government will spend six months studying the feasibility of running two international hubs in Bangkok, he said.

Some domestic flights would still be moved from the new Suvarnabhumi Airport to allow repairs to its tarmac, but only on a voluntary basis, General Surayud said.

The about-turn came one day after some 90 airlines threatened to halt flights to Thailand if they were forced to move.

Among them were the nine international airlines affiliated with Star Alliance, including Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways, All Nippon Airways and United Airlines.

Thai Airways was the first to say earlier this week that it saw no need to divide its international flights between two airports, a move that could prove confusing to travellers and seemed unnecessary, since Suvarnabhumi was 'safe for operation'.

Star Alliance said in a statement yesterday that its members 'fully endorse' the decision of Thai Airways. and that all its members have signalled their intention to stay 'under one roof at the new Suvarnabhumi Airport'.

Gen Surayud told reporters that the 'damage at Suvarnabhumi Airport can be repaired while the airport is running, but it will be necessary to reduce some flights and switch them to Don Muang'.

'Initially, only domestic flights which have no connections will land at Don Muang,' he said. 'I have assigned the Transport Ministry to conduct a study and come up with a proposal within six months on whether any other flights should be diverted to Don Muang.'

So far, only two domestic low-cost airlines have fully embraced the idea of moving back to the nearly century-old Don Muang. The airport is expected to be ready to reopen in two to three weeks, though no exact date has been set.

Government spokesman Yongyuth Mayalarp said 71 flights, or 17 per cent of the traffic at Suvarnabhumi, would move to Don Muang while the new airport is repaired.

Just 10 days ago, Gen Surayud had announced that Don Muang would be reopened within two months as a second international airport, catching the aviation industry by surprise and generating a torrent of criticism.

Airlines are worried about abandoning their investments at Suvarnabhumi, which just opened in September, and creating confusion for millions of travellers.

Since its opening, the new airport has been mired in problems, which include more than 100 cracks in taxiways and runways, corruption claims, inadequate toilets and facilities, and complaints about hygiene standards.

The head of Thailand's Civil Aviation Department, Mr Chaisak Angkasuwan, said yesterday that the government had taken into account the concerns of international carriers.

'We chose a solution that would pose as few problems as possible. Domestic flights are Thailand's internal issue and, because international airlines don't want to move back to Don Muang, we don't force them to do,' Mr Chaisak told AFP.

Thai AirAsia, Thailand's largest budget carrier, criticised the government's flip-flop for sowing confusion among airlines.

'Policies have been constantly imposed and changed over the past few months. It is very confusing,' said chief executive Tassapon Bijleveld.

Thai AirAsia had been willing to move international flights to Don Muang, but Mr Tassapon now said the airline would keep all its operations at Suvarnabhumi.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, ASSOCIATED PRESS