The Hindu Business Line : Bangkok set to open new airport

From September 28, international passengers to Bangkok will land into a new airport, five times larger than the Thai capital's present facility, Don Muang, which is world's 22nd busiest airport and South-East Asia's busiest. Having already reached its full capacity of over 37 million passengers per year, Don Muang will be relegated to domestic flight operations. Christened Suvarnabhumi by the Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej, meaning the golden land, the new airport is an imposing structure of steel, glass, concrete and teflon-coated fabric, with an innovative roof and trellis structure. Though the New Bangkok International Airport Company for the project was formed in 1996, construction could begin only in January 2002. The airport was scheduled to open by late 2005, but budget overruns, construction flaws and political churnings, besides allegations of corruption, slowed the progress.

Work at fast pace

The now-deposed Thai Prime Minister, Mr Thaksin Shinawatra, forced the pace; symbolic test flights involving two Thai Airways aircraft, were held on September 29, 2005, which, in fact, was the previously-set deadline for commencing operations. To embarras the construction crew into speeding up the work, the Prime Minister with some of his Cabinet colleagues evenspent a night in tents at the site.

Located on a boggy 3,100-hectare site at Nong Ngu Hao in the Samut Prakaran province, 30 km east of Bangkok, Suvarnabhumi airport will be equipped to handle 76 flights per hour on two runways.

With five aircraft stands and 69 remote parking bays, the airport will have the capacity to handle over three million tonnes of cargo per annum initially. The massive main complex spread over seven floors is 444 metres long and 111 metres wide. The two runways, each 60 m wide, are 4,000 m and 3,700 m long.

Though the new airport will initially handle 30 million passengers per year, the capacity will soon be increased to 45 million and with the completion of expansion phases, it will cater to over 100 million passengers per year besides 6.4 million tonnes of cargo.

Mega interiors

The 360 fully-computerised check-in counters on 10 check-in islands, the 100 counters not connected to the baggage belt system, the 122 immigration desks, and the 22 luggage carousels are all designed to provide passengers a seamless arrival/departure/transfer facility. The passenger terminal complex covers an area of 182,000 sq metre, while the seven floors and the basement provide for a total floor area of over 563,000 sq metre (approximately six million sq ft), making it the largest in the world. The second floor will serve as the arrival hall and the fourth floor the departure hall. The new Bangkok airport will have the world's largest control tower complex: A square five-storey, 132.2 metre high building.

Dotted with lush green gardens the new airport will be replete with shops and entertainment arcades, restaurants, lavish health spas, and duty-free outlets. A 600-room luxury hotel within the airport complex will be an added attraction.

Hailed as the new pride of the kingdom, the 150-billion bhat Suvarnabhumi airport will have several new services never before available. Following a trend at some other new air terminals, it will offer economy class lounge facility, providing entertainment, shower rooms, e-service and resting corners.

Communication network

A fibre optics communication network is being provided as the main media within the airport. Ericsson has completed the project of designing and inaugurating a multi-operator IN Building Solution (IBS) at the airport, which will enable passengers and staff use advanced communication systems seamlessly.

A Multistatic Dependent Surveillance (MDS) system keeps a watch on the runways, gateways and taxiways for efficient and special movement of aircraft and vehicles.

The CTX 9000 explosive detection baggage scanning devices and their accessories are already installed at the airport.

(The author, a former Chairman of Concor, is associated with the Indo-German Export Promotion Project, New Delhi.)

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