Suvarnabhumi Airport
Encyclopedia
Suvarnabhumi Airport (meaning 'Golden Land' in Sanskrit
), also known as (New) Bangkok International Airport, is an international airport
serving Bangkok
, Thailand. It 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. The airport is currently the main hub for Thai Airways International
, Bangkok Airways
, Orient Thai Airlines
, and Thai AirAsia
. It also serves as regional gateway and connecting point for various foreign carriers.
The airport is located in Racha Thewa
in Bang Phli
district, Samut Prakan Province
, about 25 kilometres (15.5 mi) east of downtown Bangkok. The name Suvarnabhumi was chosen by King Bhumibol Adulyadej
and refers to the golden kingdom
hypothesised to have been located somewhere in Southeast Asia.
Designed by Helmut Jahn
of Murphy/Jahn Architects and constructed primarily by ITO JV
, the airport has the world's tallest free-standing control tower
(132.2 metres (433.7 ft)), and the world's 4th largest single-building airport terminal
(563000 square metres (673,342.4 sq yd)). Suvarnabhumi is the 3rd busiest airport in Asia, and the busiest in the country
, having handled 42.7 million passengers in 2010, and is also a major air cargo hub
. The airport inherited the airport code BKK from Don Mueang after the older airport ceased international commercial flights. A modern motorway no.7
connects the airport, Bangkok, and the heavily industrial Eastern Seaboard of Thailand
, where most of the manufacturing for export takes place.
The 8000 acres (32.4 km²) plot of land occupied by the airport was purchased in 1973, but the student-led protests on 14 October that year led 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, the civil construction began six years later in January 2002 by the government of Thaksin Shinawatra
. The airport is located in a once low-lying marsh, formerly known as Nong Ngu Hao ' onMouseout='HidePop("72791")' href="/topics/Cobra">Cobra
Swamp"), which took 5 years (1997–2001) to clear make a land reclamation
. In 2005, the construction supervision and management was transferred to the Airports of Thailand PLC, while the NBIA company was dissolved.
, while the another 50% was from a friendly agreement of AOT and the Japan Bank for International Cooperation
(JBIC). Airport-related procurement followed JBIC's stringent guidelines for transparency and openness. Despite populism regarding the airport as being built for passengers, Thai and foreigner exporting companies in the area for a long time wanted a round the clock airport built along with a modern motorway between factories, Bangkok, and the port of Laem Chabang
.
plagued the project.
A further problem was the belief that the airport was haunted by spirits, and sightings of ghosts by superstitious construction workers, so that on 23 September 2005, the Thai airports authority held a ceremony with 99 Buddhist monks chanting prayers to calm these spirits.
Symbolic first test flights involving two Thai Airways aircraft were held on 29 September 2005, a previously announced deadline for opening.
Full tests of the airport, with seats sold to the public, took place on 3 and 29 July 2006. Six airlines – Thai Airways International
, Nok Air
, Thai Air Asia, Bangkok Airways
, PBair
and One-Two-GO
– used the airport as a base for 20 domestic flights. The first international test flights were conducted on 1 September 2006. Two THAI's aircraft, Boeing 747-400
and 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 heavy traffic.
On 15 September 2006, the airport started limited daily operations with Jetstar Asia Airways
operating three Singapore to Bangkok flights 3K511.
The first commercial arrival Singapore
flight 3K512 and Thai Airways International
operating some domestic flights to Phitsanulok
, Chiang Mai
and Ubon Ratchathani
. Bangkok Airways moved on 21 September, AirAsia
and Thai AirAsia
followed suit 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 Lufthansa Cargo
flight LH8442 from Mumbai
at 03:05. The first commercial when officially opened arrival was from 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. Aerosvit also had the first passenger departure (VV172 to Kiev) around 05:30.
Months into its opening, issues such as 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 done. Expert opinions varied widely regarding the extent of Suvarnabhumi's problems as well as their root cause; most airlines stated that damage to the airport was minimal. Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont
decided on 16 February 2007 to reopen Don Mueang for domestic flights on a voluntary basis, with 71 weekly flights moved back initially, with no international flights allowed.
Further investigations found that that taxilane and taxiway rutting was caused by separation of the asphalt binder
from the aggregate
surface due to prolonged water infiltration into the asphalt concrete base course
, a phenomenon known as "stripping." The 23 centimetres (9.1 in) thick base course is the top-most layer of the tarmac. Core samples indicated that the concrete base course material contained the correct job mix and aggregate gradation. Below the base course are the binder course, the wearing course, and the cement-treated base.
Detailed investigations found that water seepage was evident along the rims of the expansion joints in the cement-tested base, indicating that a large quantity of water was still trapped in the sand blanket (the bottom-most layer of the tarmac). It was found that water trapped in the sand blanket was fully confined with no connection to the pavement areas of the airport. A later investigation by the AoT identified several potential reasons for the trapped water in the sand blanket. The AoT's findings were disputed by several experts.
The Engineering Institute of Thailand sent a formal warning to the AoT in November 2006 about the urgent need to drain water from beneath the tarmac, and the need for immediate action. "The AOT did nothing about the problem," Suebsak Promboon of the EIT later noted. "The situation might not have become this bad if the water had been drained then."
In January 2007, ruts were discovered in the runways at Suvarnabhumi. The east runway was scheduled to close for repairs. Expert opinions have varied widely as to the root cause of the ruts. 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 Muang.
On 27 January 2007, however, the Department of Civil Aviation declined to renew the airport's safety certificate, which expired the previous day. The ICAO requires that international airports hold aerodrome safety certificates, but Suvarnabhumi will continue to operate because the ICAO requirement has yet to be adopted as part of Thai law.
said it would shift most of its domestic flights back, 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 Muang. 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, and they remain at Suvarnabhumi for this reason. Nok Air
and PBair
were undecided, but Nok Air
later relocated all their flights to Don Muang, where they operate today. As of January 2010, only Nok Air
and One-Two-Go
operate domestic flights from Don Muang Airport. PBair
have ceased operations altogether. One-Two-Go was integrated into Orient Thai Airlines
in July 2010 but continues to operate from Don Muang Airport.
The integration of structural form into overall aesthetic is a phenomenon personally describes by Helmut Jahn
as “Archi-Neering”.
These integrations include works on the advanced long span lightweight steel trusses coupled with exposed pre-cast concrete structures, low e-coated glass facade system, three layer translucent membrane, integrated cooling, using water as a low energy carrier and the thermal mass of concrete and a displacement ventilation system with minimal air-changes.
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 enegy life cycle cost savings. The installed cooling system reduced up to 50% 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.
in Rayong province.
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, causing almost three thousand passengers stranded within the main terminal, another 350,000 were stranded inside the country, as all flights were grounded for a short while.People's Alliance for Democracy
Seizure Control tower
On 12.00 am
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 recertification once the illegal occupation ended delayed the airport from being fully functional until 5 December 2008.
, which also advised shoppers to retain all receipts to "avoid great distress."
Britain and Denmark
also posted online advisories about hard-to-detect demarcation lines between shops in Suvarnabhumi's sprawling duty-free zone
and warned shoppers to be alert about carrying unpaid merchandise across the lines.
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. Airport security personnel failed to respond, reportedly because an internal dispute within the Parking Management Co., the firm contracted to run the parking facilities.
Costing an estimated ฿155 billion (US$3.8 billion), the airport has two parallel runway
s (60 m wide, 4,000 m and 3,700 m long) and two parallel taxiway
s to accommodate simultaneous departures and arrivals. 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 3 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. Between the airport hotel and the terminal building are the two 5-storey car parks with a combined capacity of 5,000 cars.
Long-term plans include four runways flanking two main terminals, two satellite buildings and a low-cost terminal will have a combined capacity capable of handling more than 150 million passengers and 6.4 million tonnes of cargo a year were settled clearly on the drawing board. The second phase of airport expansion which involving the construction of a satellite building south of the main terminal is expected to begin construction in 3 to 5 years.
Airports of Thailand
PLC (AOT), the owner and operator
of Suvarnabhumi Airport, announced on 21 July 2006 that a separate terminal for Low-cost carrier
s (LCC) will be built at the airport at a cost of 600 million baht (15.8 million US dollars). The budget terminal will be located near Concourse A of the main terminal. It is capable of handling more than 20 million passengers per year. Its operating concept will be modeled after the LCC terminals of Kuala Lumpur International Airport
and Singapore Changi Airport
. However, Don Mueang has also been reopened and is being used by some low-cost domestic airlines, there are concerns whether the LCC terminal at Suvarnabhumi will be needed due to this and overcrowding concerns.
The airport's passenger terminal is the world's largest passenger terminal ever constructed in one phase at 563000 square metres (673,342.4 sq yd), and is also currently the fourth biggest passenger terminal building in the world, after the Hong Kong International Airport
(570000 square metres (681,714.3 sq yd)), Beijing Capital International Airport
(986000 square metres (1,179,246.2 sq yd)), with the largest passenger terminal being at Dubai International Airport
(Terminal 3 is over 1500000 square metres (1,793,985.1 sq yd)). The airport's air-traffic control tower is still remaining as the tallest in the world's history at 132.2 metres (433.7 ft).
Suvarnabhumi Airport has 51 air bridges and 69 non air bridges. Additionally, flights are also able to park at remote locations on the ramp, from where airport buses transport passengers to and from the terminal.Suvarnabhumi Airport has 5 air bridges and 3 non air bridges for Airbus 380–800
. 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 the No. 7 Motorway 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 has two interchange stations, namely Phaya Thai (changing for BTS Green Line
services) and Makkasan (linking Phetchaburi station of the MRT Blue Line
). Two train services are operated: the non-stop Express Line trains run between Suvarnabhumi and Makkasan (at a maximum speed of 160 km/hour); the commuter City Line trains that run between Suvarnabhumi and Phaya Thai, calling at all stations. At the end of 2010, Makkasan station will also serve as the City Airport Terminal with parking and baggage check-in facilities offered to passengers using the Express 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, if the old Don Mueang International Airport is reopened for civil aviation under a dual-aiprort policy.
The Airport Rail Link operates daily from 6 am to 12 midnight. A single-trip journey costs between 15 and 45 Baht or 150 Baht on the City Line and Express Line service, respectively. Journeys on an Express Line train (non-stop to Makksan) and the City Line train (six stops to Phaya Thai) takes 15 and 27 minutes, respectively. Suvarnabhumi station is located right under the main terminal building (B1 Level, two floors below the Arrival Hall). As the connection walkway linking Makkasan and Phetchaburi MRT stations is currently under construction, passengers changing to other mass transit lines are advised to take a City Line train to Phaya Thai and change to the BTS Skytrain
from there.
Baggage check-in facilities for passengers travelling on flights operated by Thai Airways International
and Bangkok Airways
are offered at Makkasan station (the city air terminal) from 8 am to 9 pm, daily. Passengers must check in their baggage at least 3 hours prior to the flight departure, or up to 12 hours in advance, and are required to purchase an Express Line ticket to Suvarnabhumi Airport.
provides a suburban commuter train service between Hua Takhe (the nearest station to Suvarnabhumi on the East line) 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. Passengers pay a flat fare of Bt30. A shuttle bus service linking the airport with Hua Takhe railway station is provided by BMTA for Bt15. 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.
12 air-conditioned city bus routes are operated by Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) serve the airport's dedicated bus terminal. City buses offer a cheaper alternative of Bt35 flat fare, compared with the airport express bus. However, passengers must take a shuttle bus to the public transportation center's bus terminal before they can board the regular city buses. The 12 routes available are as follows:
The airport has provided 5 convenient entrance routes. The main route is via the motorway in the north of Bangkok, directly connecting Bangkok's downtown and Chon Buri
province, the industrial and harbor city in eastern Thailand. However, another main airport entrance is located in Samut Prakan province, connecting an elevated highway in the south of Bangkok which lies from Bang Na to Bang Pakong.
and by a number of other licensed Limousine companies http://www.limousine.in.th.
Bus Line 9905 go to Jomtien Beach
BUS Line 9906 – 1 go to U-Tapao International Airport
get off at U-Tapao Station
Bus Line 9907 go to Chanthaburi
BUS Line 9909 go to Si Racha
departure tax
is included in the price of flight tickets. Before that date, departing passengers had to pay the tax to officials or vending machines before they entered the immigration queues. The departure tax at Don Muang International Airport was 500 Baht per person.
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
), also known as (New) Bangkok International Airport, is an international airport
International airport
An international airport is any airport that can accommodate flights from other countries and are typically equipped with customs and immigration facilities to handle these flights to and from other countries...
serving Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
, Thailand. It 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. The airport is currently the main hub for Thai Airways International
Thai Airways International
Thai Airways International Public Company Limited is the national flag carrier and largest airline of Thailand. Formed in 1988, the airline's headquarters are located in Chatuchak District, Bangkok, and operates out of Suvarnabhumi Airport. Thai is a founding member of the Star Alliance. Thai is a...
, Bangkok Airways
Bangkok Airways
Bangkok Airways Co., Ltd. is a regional airline based in Chatuchak District, Bangkok, Thailand. It operates scheduled services to destinations in Thailand, Cambodia, China, Laos, Maldives, Burma, India and Singapore...
, Orient Thai Airlines
Orient Thai Airlines
Orient Thai Airlines Co., Ltd. is an airline with its head office in Khlong Toei, Bangkok, Thailand. It operates charter and scheduled services in Southeast Asia. Its main base is Suvarnabhumi Airport, Bangkok...
, and Thai AirAsia
Thai AirAsia
Thai AirAsia is a joint venture of Malaysian low-fare airline AirAsia and Thailand's Asia Aviation. It serves AirAsia's regularly scheduled domestic and international flights from Bangkok and other cities in Thailand....
. It also serves as regional gateway and connecting point for various foreign carriers.
The airport is located in Racha Thewa
Racha Thewa
Racha Thewa is a commune in Bang Phli district, Samut Prakan Province, Thailand. It is the location of Suvarnabhumi Airport. The name of the district originates from Saming Racha, a famous family in the area.-Administration:...
in Bang Phli
Amphoe Bang Phli
Bang Phli is a district of Samut Prakan Province in Thailand. It is home to Suvarnabhumi Airport , which opened on 28 September 2006 as Thailand's primary airport...
district, Samut Prakan Province
Samut Prakan Province
Samut Prakan is one of the central provinces of Thailand. It is part of the Bangkok Metropolitan Region. Neighboring provinces are Bangkok, to the north and west, and Chachoengsao to the east....
, about 25 kilometres (15.5 mi) east of downtown Bangkok. The name Suvarnabhumi was chosen by King Bhumibol Adulyadej
Bhumibol Adulyadej
Bhumibol Adulyadej is the current King of Thailand. He is known as Rama IX...
and refers to the golden kingdom
Suvarnabhumi
Suvarnabhumi or Suvannabhumi meaning the "Golden Land" or "Land of Gold", is a term coined by the ancient Indians which refers broadly to Lower Burma, Lower Thailand, Lower Malay Peninsula, the Sumatra, but more generally accepted to refer more specifically to Lower Burma...
hypothesised to have been located somewhere in Southeast Asia.
Designed by Helmut Jahn
Helmut Jahn
Helmut Jahn is a German-American architect, well known for designs such as the US$800 million Sony Center on the Potsdamer Platz, Berlin, the Messeturm in Frankfurt and the One Liberty Place, formerly the tallest building in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Suvarnabhumi Airport, an international...
of Murphy/Jahn Architects and constructed primarily by ITO JV
ITO JV
ITO Joint Venture, or abbreviated "ITO JV" or shorter "ITO", indicates the organization formed among Italian-Thai Development PCL, Takenaka Corporation, and Obayashi Corporation, all of which are leading companies in Thailand and Japanese building industry...
, the airport has the world's tallest free-standing control tower
Control tower
A control tower, or more specifically an Air Traffic Control Tower , is the name of the airport building from which the air traffic control unit controls the movement of aircraft on and around the airport. Control towers are also used to control the traffic for other forms of transportation such...
(132.2 metres (433.7 ft)), and the world's 4th largest single-building airport terminal
Airport terminal
An airport terminal is a building at an airport where passengers transfer between ground transportation and the facilities that allow them to board and disembark from aircraft....
(563000 square metres (673,342.4 sq yd)). Suvarnabhumi is the 3rd busiest airport in Asia, and the busiest in the country
Busiest airports in Thailand
The busiest airports in Thailand are measured according to data presented by the Department of Civil Aviation and by Airports of Thailand Public Company Limited.- Passenger Traffic :...
, having handled 42.7 million passengers in 2010, and is also a major air cargo hub
World's busiest airports by cargo traffic
The world's thirty busiest airports by cargo traffic for various periods . Numbers listed refer to loaded and unloaded freight in metric tonnes.-2010 final statistics:...
. The airport inherited the airport code BKK from Don Mueang after the older airport ceased international commercial flights. A modern motorway no.7
Thai motorway network
The Thai motorway network is an intercity motorway network that currently spans 145 kilometers. It is to be greatly extended to 4154.7 kilometers according to the master plan....
connects the airport, Bangkok, and the heavily industrial Eastern Seaboard of Thailand
Eastern Seaboard of Thailand
The Eastern Seaboard of Thailand is an emerging economic region, and plays a key role in Thailand's economy. Its importance lies in the fact that it is Thailand's center for export oriented industries. High value goods, such as Japanese branded automobiles, which are manufactured there and...
, where most of the manufacturing for export takes place.
History
Land purchase, early construction
Planning of a second international airport for Bangkok started in the early 1960s. The process was slow from the start: as early as 1968, critics were already charging that the project was "five to seven years" behind the main schedule.The 8000 acres (32.4 km²) plot of land occupied by the airport was purchased in 1973, but the student-led protests on 14 October that year led the overthrow of the military government of Prime Minister Thanom Kittikachorn
Thanom Kittikachorn
Field Marshal Thanom Kittikachorn was a military dictator of Thailand. A staunch anti-Communist, Thanom oversaw a decade of military rule in Thailand from 1963 to 1973, until public protests which exploded into violence forced him to step down...
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, the civil construction began six years later in January 2002 by the government of Thaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra is a Thai businessman and politician, who was Prime Minister of Thailand from 2001 to 2006, when he was overthrown in a military coup....
. The airport is located in a once low-lying marsh, formerly known as Nong Ngu Hao ' onMouseout='HidePop("72791")' href="/topics/Cobra">Cobra
Cobra
Cobra is a venomous snake belonging to the family Elapidae. However, not all snakes commonly referred to as cobras are of the same genus, or even of the same family. The name is short for cobra capo or capa Snake, which is Portuguese for "snake with hood", or "hood-snake"...
Swamp"), which took 5 years (1997–2001) to clear make a land reclamation
Land reclamation
Land reclamation, usually known as reclamation, is the process to create new land from sea or riverbeds. The land reclaimed is known as reclamation ground or landfill.- Habitation :...
. In 2005, the construction supervision and management was transferred to the Airports of Thailand PLC, while the NBIA company was dissolved.
Financing
Fifty percent of the airport's construction cost was covered by Airports of ThailandAirports of Thailand
Airports of Thailand Public Company Limited is a large Thai public company, which handles several national airports. Its headquarters are in Don Mueang District, Bangkok....
, while the another 50% was from a friendly agreement of AOT and the Japan Bank for International Cooperation
Japan Bank for International Cooperation
The , also known by its acronym, JBIC, is a Japanese public financial institution and export credit agency, and was created on October 1, 1999, through the merging of the Japan Export-Import Bank and the Overseas Economic Cooperation Fund ....
(JBIC). Airport-related procurement followed JBIC's stringent guidelines for transparency and openness. Despite populism regarding the airport as being built for passengers, Thai and foreigner exporting companies in the area for a long time wanted a round the clock airport built along with a modern motorway between factories, Bangkok, and the port of Laem Chabang
Laem Chabang
Laem Chabang is a city in Chonburi Province, Thailand. It covers the tambon Bang Lamung of Bang Lamung district, and the complete tambon Bueng, Sura Sak, Thung Su Khla and parts of Nong Kham of Si Racha district...
.
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 corruptionCorruption in the Suvarnabhumi Airport project
Allegations of corruption during the development of Suvarnabhumi Airport, the new international airport serving Bangkok, Thailand, have been made since the project's inception...
plagued the project.
A further problem was the belief that the airport was haunted by spirits, and sightings of ghosts by superstitious construction workers, so that on 23 September 2005, the Thai airports authority held a ceremony with 99 Buddhist monks chanting prayers to calm these spirits.
Symbolic first test flights involving two Thai Airways aircraft were held on 29 September 2005, a previously announced deadline for opening.
Full tests of the airport, with seats sold to the public, took place on 3 and 29 July 2006. Six airlines – Thai Airways International
Thai Airways International
Thai Airways International Public Company Limited is the national flag carrier and largest airline of Thailand. Formed in 1988, the airline's headquarters are located in Chatuchak District, Bangkok, and operates out of Suvarnabhumi Airport. Thai is a founding member of the Star Alliance. Thai is a...
, Nok Air
Nok Air
Nok Air , the Thai word for bird) is a low-cost airline headquartered in Sathorn, Bangkok, Thailand, operating domestic and international services out of Bangkok Don Mueang Airport. Nok Air is the budget airline of Thai Airways International...
, Thai Air Asia, Bangkok Airways
Bangkok Airways
Bangkok Airways Co., Ltd. is a regional airline based in Chatuchak District, Bangkok, Thailand. It operates scheduled services to destinations in Thailand, Cambodia, China, Laos, Maldives, Burma, India and Singapore...
, PBair
PBair
PBair was an airline with its head office in the UBC II Building in Vadhana, Bangkok, Thailand. It operated scheduled domestic and international services. Its main base was Suvarnabhumi Airport.- History :...
and One-Two-GO
One-Two-GO
One-Two-GO Airlines was a low-cost airline based in Don Mueang, Bangkok, Thailand. Following the crash of OG 269 in Phuket, Thailand on September 16, 2007, One-Two-GO was banned from flying in European Union nations due to safety concerns. Its main base was Don Mueang International Airport, Bangkok...
– used the airport as a base for 20 domestic flights. The first international test flights were conducted on 1 September 2006. Two THAI's aircraft, Boeing 747-400
Boeing 747-400
The Boeing 747-400 is a major development and the best-selling model of the Boeing 747 family of jet airliners. While retaining the four-engine wide-body layout of its predecessors, the 747-400 embodies numerous technological and structural changes to produce a more efficient airframe...
and Airbus A300-600
Airbus A300
The Airbus A300 is a short- to medium-range widebody jet airliner. Launched in 1972 as the world's first twin-engined widebody, it was the first product of Airbus Industrie, a consortium of European aerospace companies, wholly owned today by EADS...
, 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 heavy traffic.
On 15 September 2006, the airport started limited daily operations with Jetstar Asia Airways
Jetstar Asia Airways
Jetstar Asia Airways Private Limited , operating as Jetstar Asia, is a low-cost airline headquartered in Singapore. It is the Asian offshoot of Qantas Jetstar Airways...
operating three Singapore to Bangkok flights 3K511.
The first commercial arrival Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
flight 3K512 and Thai Airways International
Thai Airways International
Thai Airways International Public Company Limited is the national flag carrier and largest airline of Thailand. Formed in 1988, the airline's headquarters are located in Chatuchak District, Bangkok, and operates out of Suvarnabhumi Airport. Thai is a founding member of the Star Alliance. Thai is a...
operating some domestic flights to Phitsanulok
Phitsanulok
Phitsanulok is an important and historic city in lower northern Thailand and is the capital of Phitsanulok Province, which stretches all the way to the Laotian border. Phitsanulok is one of the oldest cities in Thailand, founded over 600 years ago...
, Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai sometimes written as "Chiengmai" or "Chiangmai", is the largest and most culturally significant city in northern Thailand. It is the capital of Chiang Mai Province , a former capital of the Kingdom of Lanna and was the tributary Kingdom of Chiang Mai from 1774 until 1939. It is...
and Ubon Ratchathani
Ubon Ratchathani
Ubon Ratchathani is a city on the Mun River in the south-east of the Isan region of Thailand. It is known as Ubon for short. The name means "Royal Lotus City." The provincial seal features a pond with a lotus flower and leaves in a circular frame. Ubon is the administrative centre of Ubon...
. Bangkok Airways moved on 21 September, AirAsia
AirAsia
AirAsia Berhad is a Malaysian-based low-cost airline. AirAsia is Asia's largest low-fare, no-frills airline and a pioneer of low-cost travel in Asia. AirAsia group operates scheduled domestic and international flights to over 400 destinations spanning 25 countries. Its main hub is the Low-Cost...
and Thai AirAsia
Thai AirAsia
Thai AirAsia is a joint venture of Malaysian low-fare airline AirAsia and Thailand's Asia Aviation. It serves AirAsia's regularly scheduled domestic and international flights from Bangkok and other cities in Thailand....
followed suit on 25 September and on 26 September Nok Air
Nok Air
Nok Air , the Thai word for bird) is a low-cost airline headquartered in Sathorn, Bangkok, Thailand, operating domestic and international services out of Bangkok Don Mueang Airport. Nok Air is the budget airline of Thai Airways International...
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 Lufthansa Cargo
Lufthansa Cargo
Lufthansa Cargo AG is a cargo airline from Germany, operating worldwide air freight and logistics services on behalf of Lufthansa, of which it is a wholly owned subsidiary. The company is headquartered in Building 451 of the Frankfurt Airport area in Frankfurt, the major hub of Lufthansa...
flight LH8442 from Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
at 03:05. The first commercial when officially opened arrival was from Japan Airlines
Japan Airlines
is an airline headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan. It is the flag carrier of Japan and its main hubs are Tokyo's Narita International Airport and Tokyo International Airport , as well as Nagoya's Chūbu Centrair International Airport and Osaka's Kansai International Airport...
at 03:30. The first passenger arrival was Aerosvit flight VV171 from Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
at 04:30, and the first cargo departure was Saudi Arabian Airlines
Saudi Arabian Airlines
Saudi Arabian Airlines is the flag carrier airline of Saudi Arabia, based in Jeddah. It operates domestic and international scheduled flights to over 90 destinations in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Europe and North America...
flight SV-984 to Riyadh
Riyadh
Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of Riyadh Province, and belongs to the historical regions of Najd and Al-Yamama. It is situated in the center of the Arabian Peninsula on a large plateau, and is home to 5,254,560 people, and the urban center of a...
at 05:00. Aerosvit also had the first passenger departure (VV172 to Kiev) around 05:30.
Initial difficulties
Many difficulties were recorded in the first few days of the airport's operation. On the first day alone, sluggish luggage claims were common – the very 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. Also flights were delayed (Thai Airways claimed that 17 of 19 flights were delayed that day), and there were also failures with the check-in system. 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 Muang, there were no "final calls" issued).Months into its opening, issues such as 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 done. Expert opinions varied widely regarding the extent of Suvarnabhumi's problems as well as their root cause; most airlines stated that damage to the airport was minimal. Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont
Surayud Chulanont
General Surayud Chulanont is a Thai political figure. He was the Prime Minister of Thailand and head of Thailand's Interim Government between 2006 and 2008...
decided on 16 February 2007 to reopen Don Mueang for domestic flights on a voluntary basis, with 71 weekly flights moved back initially, with no international flights allowed.
Problems with the tarmac
The Engineering Institute of Thailand conducted investigations at the airport in late 2006 after signs of distress were spotted at several locations in Suvarnabhumi's taxiways and taxilanes. Rutting was found in five of the six taxilanes and one of the six taxiways. Plastic deformation of the asphalt wearing course was observed near the takeoff position of the runway. However, the investigators noted that plastic deformation at this location was a common phenomenon and only routine maintenance was required to repair the distress. Aside from this surface distortion, both runways were in good structural condition.Further investigations found that that taxilane and taxiway rutting was caused by separation of the asphalt binder
Binder
The reaper-binder, or binder, was a farm implement that improved upon the reaper. The binder was invented in 1872 by Charles Withington. In addition to cutting the small-grain crop, it would also tie the stems into small bundles, or sheaves...
from the aggregate
Construction Aggregate
Construction aggregate, or simply "aggregate", is a broad category of coarse particulate material used in construction, including sand, gravel, crushed stone, slag, recycled concrete and geosynthetic aggregates. Aggregates are the most mined material in the world...
surface due to prolonged water infiltration into the asphalt concrete base course
Base course
Base Course in pavements refers to the sub-layer material of an asphalt roadway and is placed directly on top of the undisturbed soil so as to provide a foundation to support the top layer of the pavement...
, a phenomenon known as "stripping." The 23 centimetres (9.1 in) thick base course is the top-most layer of the tarmac. Core samples indicated that the concrete base course material contained the correct job mix and aggregate gradation. Below the base course are the binder course, the wearing course, and the cement-treated base.
Detailed investigations found that water seepage was evident along the rims of the expansion joints in the cement-tested base, indicating that a large quantity of water was still trapped in the sand blanket (the bottom-most layer of the tarmac). It was found that water trapped in the sand blanket was fully confined with no connection to the pavement areas of the airport. A later investigation by the AoT identified several potential reasons for the trapped water in the sand blanket. The AoT's findings were disputed by several experts.
The Engineering Institute of Thailand sent a formal warning to the AoT in November 2006 about the urgent need to drain water from beneath the tarmac, and the need for immediate action. "The AOT did nothing about the problem," Suebsak Promboon of the EIT later noted. "The situation might not have become this bad if the water had been drained then."
In January 2007, ruts were discovered in the runways at Suvarnabhumi. The east runway was scheduled to close for repairs. Expert opinions have varied widely as to the root cause of the ruts. 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 Muang.
On 27 January 2007, however, the Department of Civil Aviation declined to renew the airport's safety certificate, which expired the previous day. The ICAO requires that international airports hold aerodrome safety certificates, but Suvarnabhumi will continue to operate because the ICAO requirement has yet to be adopted as part of Thai law.
Capacity
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. It has a total of 120 parking bays (51 with contact gates and 69 remote gates) and 8 parking bays (5 contact gates and 3 remote gates) of these are capable of accommodating the Airbus A380 aircraft. With a capacity of handling 76 flight operations per hour, both international and domestic flights will share the airport terminal but will be assigned to different parts of the concourse. In the initial phase of construction, it will be capable of handling 45 million passengers and 3 million tonnes of cargo per year. Between the airport hotel and the terminal building are the two 5-storey car park buildings with a combined capacity of 5,000 cars.Plans to re-open Don Mueang for domestic
In January 2007, Thai Airways announced a plan to move some of its domestic operations back to Don Muang International Airport due to overcrowding. Three days later, the Ministry of Transport recommended temporarily reopening Don Muang while repair work on the runways at Suvarnabhumi proceeds. At that time, Thai AirwaysThai Airways International
Thai Airways International Public Company Limited is the national flag carrier and largest airline of Thailand. Formed in 1988, the airline's headquarters are located in Chatuchak District, Bangkok, and operates out of Suvarnabhumi Airport. Thai is a founding member of the Star Alliance. Thai is a...
said it would shift most of its domestic flights back, keeping flights with high international passenger connections such as Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai sometimes written as "Chiengmai" or "Chiangmai", is the largest and most culturally significant city in northern Thailand. It is the capital of Chiang Mai Province , a former capital of the Kingdom of Lanna and was the tributary Kingdom of Chiang Mai from 1774 until 1939. It is...
and Phuket
Phuket Province
Phuket , formerly known as Thalang and, in Western sources, Junk Ceylon , is one of the southern provinces of Thailand...
at Suvarnabhumi. On 28 March 2009, Thai Airways
Thai Airways International
Thai Airways International Public Company Limited is the national flag carrier and largest airline of Thailand. Formed in 1988, the airline's headquarters are located in Chatuchak District, Bangkok, and operates out of Suvarnabhumi Airport. Thai is a founding member of the Star Alliance. Thai is a...
discontinued all domestic flights from Don Muang. Bangkok Airways and One-Two-GO
One-Two-GO
One-Two-GO Airlines was a low-cost airline based in Don Mueang, Bangkok, Thailand. Following the crash of OG 269 in Phuket, Thailand on September 16, 2007, One-Two-GO was banned from flying in European Union nations due to safety concerns. Its main base was Don Mueang International Airport, Bangkok...
had similar plans, but Bangkok Airways remained at Suvarnabhumi. Thai AirAsia
Thai AirAsia
Thai AirAsia is a joint venture of Malaysian low-fare airline AirAsia and Thailand's Asia Aviation. It serves AirAsia's regularly scheduled domestic and international flights from Bangkok and other cities in Thailand....
said it would not move unless it could shift both its international and domestic operations, and they remain at Suvarnabhumi for this reason. Nok Air
Nok Air
Nok Air , the Thai word for bird) is a low-cost airline headquartered in Sathorn, Bangkok, Thailand, operating domestic and international services out of Bangkok Don Mueang Airport. Nok Air is the budget airline of Thai Airways International...
and PBair
PBair
PBair was an airline with its head office in the UBC II Building in Vadhana, Bangkok, Thailand. It operated scheduled domestic and international services. Its main base was Suvarnabhumi Airport.- History :...
were undecided, but Nok Air
Nok Air
Nok Air , the Thai word for bird) is a low-cost airline headquartered in Sathorn, Bangkok, Thailand, operating domestic and international services out of Bangkok Don Mueang Airport. Nok Air is the budget airline of Thai Airways International...
later relocated all their flights to Don Muang, where they operate today. As of January 2010, only Nok Air
Nok Air
Nok Air , the Thai word for bird) is a low-cost airline headquartered in Sathorn, Bangkok, Thailand, operating domestic and international services out of Bangkok Don Mueang Airport. Nok Air is the budget airline of Thai Airways International...
and One-Two-Go
One-Two-GO
One-Two-GO Airlines was a low-cost airline based in Don Mueang, Bangkok, Thailand. Following the crash of OG 269 in Phuket, Thailand on September 16, 2007, One-Two-GO was banned from flying in European Union nations due to safety concerns. Its main base was Don Mueang International Airport, Bangkok...
operate domestic flights from Don Muang Airport. PBair
PBair
PBair was an airline with its head office in the UBC II Building in Vadhana, Bangkok, Thailand. It operated scheduled domestic and international services. Its main base was Suvarnabhumi Airport.- History :...
have ceased operations altogether. One-Two-Go was integrated into Orient Thai Airlines
Orient Thai Airlines
Orient Thai Airlines Co., Ltd. is an airline with its head office in Khlong Toei, Bangkok, Thailand. It operates charter and scheduled services in Southeast Asia. Its main base is Suvarnabhumi Airport, Bangkok...
in July 2010 but continues to operate from Don Muang Airport.
Repair and upgrades
Airports of Thailand found that the cost of fixing 60 identified problems at the airport would be less than 1% 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% of the problems would be fixed within 2007. 20 of the 60 problems were successfully fixed by February 2007.Accidents and incidents
- On 3 February 2010, Flight 116, a Thai Airways Boeing 747–400, experienced an oil filter message, high vibration, and fire warning from the No. 1 engine, a General Electric CF6-80CB1F turbofan engine, shortly after takeoff. The flight crew shut down the No. 1 engine, discharged both fire extinguishing bottles, and started a return back to the airport. A successful three-engine landing was performed with no reported injuries.
Structural Design
Suvarnabhumi Airport 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 principal was to express the former essence of the site, from which the 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 movements acting on them, with the greatest depth at mid-span and over the supports. These mega-trusses are composed of three smaller trusses joined via pin connections: the middle truss acting similarly to a drop-in beam flanked by two cantilevered trusses. The outer and inner trusses address compression inversely to one another. Whereas the top of the middle truss is formed by two cords to account for the compression of the roof structure, the bottom of the cantilevered trusses is formed by two chords, sense the concentration of compression reverses when the outer-trusses are cantilevered.The integration of structural form into overall aesthetic is a phenomenon personally describes by Helmut Jahn
Helmut Jahn
Helmut Jahn is a German-American architect, well known for designs such as the US$800 million Sony Center on the Potsdamer Platz, Berlin, the Messeturm in Frankfurt and the One Liberty Place, formerly the tallest building in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Suvarnabhumi Airport, an international...
as “Archi-Neering”.
These integrations include works on the advanced long span lightweight steel trusses coupled with exposed pre-cast concrete structures, low e-coated glass facade system, three layer translucent membrane, integrated cooling, using water as a low energy carrier and the thermal mass of concrete and a displacement ventilation system with minimal air-changes.
The result of Helmut Jahn
Helmut Jahn
Helmut Jahn is a German-American architect, well known for designs such as the US$800 million Sony Center on the Potsdamer Platz, Berlin, the Messeturm in Frankfurt and the One Liberty Place, formerly the tallest building in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Suvarnabhumi Airport, an international...
’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 enegy life cycle cost savings. The installed cooling system reduced up to 50% 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.
Structural Facade
Suvarnabhumi Airport main terminal characteristic green building envelop utilizes a minimalist structural form of point fix facade called cable truss system. The structure relied on pre-tensioned highly compacted dia.14mm stainless steel cable supported by compression spreader strut elements between two vertical trusses to provide stability. Dead loads are supported by dia.16mm high tensile stainless rod that were engineered right inside the main body of the point fix clamp making the DL rods to appear hidden between the glass silicon.Flood Protection
Suvarnabhumi Airport has taken numerous measures to protect it from flooding. The airport area is surrouded by a 3 metre high, 23.5 km long earth dyke. Within the area protected by the dyke there are numerous canals, including one running along the inside of the dyke, which drain into 6 reservoirs. The reservoirs hold up to 4 million cubic metes of water. At the southern boundary of the airport there are two water pumping stations, each has 4 pumps that pump 12 cubic metres (12,000 litres) of water per second ( or 1 million cubic metres per day). The pumped water is discharged into 2 canals, Khlong Lat Krabang and Khlong Bang Chalong, which flow south to the Gulf of Thailand.Events
On 25 January 2007, due to work to the upgrading the taxiways, which was suffered by a small crack, few incoming flights were delayed and several flights were safety diverted to a nearby operating U-Tapao International AirportU-Tapao International Airport
-Charter services:-Accidents and incidents:On 28 October 1977, a Douglas DC-3 of Air Vietnam was hijacked to U-Tapao International Airport where the four hijackers surrendered. Two people on board the aircraft were killed in the hijacking...
in Rayong province.
On 26 November 2008, an illegal occupation of the airport took place by People's Alliance for Democracy
People's Alliance for Democracy
The People's Alliance for Democracy also called the National Liberation Alliance - กลุ่มพันธมิตรกู้ชาติ, Thai Patriots Network or the Yellow Shirts - เสื้อเหลือง - was originally a coalition of protesters against Thaksin Shinawatra, the former Prime Minister of Thailand. Its leaders include...
, closing the departure lounge and blocking exits, causing almost three thousand passengers stranded within the main terminal, another 350,000 were stranded inside the country, as all flights were grounded for a short while.People's Alliance for Democracy
People's Alliance for Democracy
The People's Alliance for Democracy also called the National Liberation Alliance - กลุ่มพันธมิตรกู้ชาติ, Thai Patriots Network or the Yellow Shirts - เสื้อเหลือง - was originally a coalition of protesters against Thaksin Shinawatra, the former Prime Minister of Thailand. Its leaders include...
Seizure Control tower
Control tower
A control tower, or more specifically an Air Traffic Control Tower , is the name of the airport building from which the air traffic control unit controls the movement of aircraft on and around the airport. Control towers are also used to control the traffic for other forms of transportation such...
On 12.00 am
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 recertification once the illegal occupation ended delayed the airport from being fully functional until 5 December 2008.
Warnings
In 2009, Ireland warned its citizens to be on guard while browsing in the airport's shops. "We have received reports that innocent shoppers have been the subject of allegations of suspected theft and threatened that their cases will not be heard for several months unless they plead guilty and pay substantial fines," the Irish government wrote in a travel advisoryTravel advisory
A travel advisory is a public notice issued by a government agency to provide information about the relative safety of travelling to or visiting one or more specific foreign destinations...
, which also advised shoppers to retain all receipts to "avoid great distress."
Britain and Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
also posted online advisories about hard-to-detect demarcation lines between shops in Suvarnabhumi's sprawling duty-free zone
Duty-free shop
Duty-free shops are retail outlets that are exempt from the payment of certain local or national taxes and duties, on the requirement that the goods sold will be sold to travelers who will take them out of the country...
and warned shoppers to be alert about carrying unpaid merchandise across the lines.
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. Evicting them has proved difficult as they allegedly are well connected (the head of the Pirap gang is supposedly related to an AoT executive, while the Phuyai Daeng has ties to influential civil servants in Samut Prakan).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. Airport security personnel failed to respond, reportedly because an internal dispute within the Parking Management Co., the firm contracted to run the parking facilities.
Specifications
Runway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
s (60 m wide, 4,000 m and 3,700 m long) and two parallel taxiway
Taxiway
A taxiway is a path on an airport connecting runways with ramps, hangars, terminals and other facilities. They mostly have hard surface such as asphalt or concrete, although smaller airports sometimes use gravel or grass....
s to accommodate simultaneous departures and arrivals. 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
Airbus A380
The Airbus A380 is a double-deck, wide-body, four-engine jet airliner manufactured by the European corporation Airbus, a subsidiary of EADS. It is the largest passenger airliner in the world. Due to its size, many airports had to modify and improve facilities to accommodate it...
. 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 3 million tonnes of cargo
Cargo airline
Cargo airlines are airlines dedicated to the transport of cargo. Some cargo airlines are divisions or subsidiaries of larger passenger airlines.-Logistics:...
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
Novotel
Novotel is a mid-scale hotel brand within the Accor group. Novotel has close to 400 hotels and resorts in 60 countries, situated in the business districts and tourist destinations of major international cities.-History:...
brand. Between the airport hotel and the terminal building are the two 5-storey car parks with a combined capacity of 5,000 cars.
Long-term plans include four runways flanking two main terminals, two satellite buildings and a low-cost terminal will have a combined capacity capable of handling more than 150 million passengers and 6.4 million tonnes of cargo a year were settled clearly on the drawing board. The second phase of airport expansion which involving the construction of a satellite building south of the main terminal is expected to begin construction in 3 to 5 years.
Airports of Thailand
Airports of Thailand
Airports of Thailand Public Company Limited is a large Thai public company, which handles several national airports. Its headquarters are in Don Mueang District, Bangkok....
PLC (AOT), the owner and operator
Fixed base operator
A Fixed-base operator or commonly abbreviated FBO is a term developed in the United States after the passage of the Air Commerce Act of 1926...
of Suvarnabhumi Airport, announced on 21 July 2006 that a separate terminal for Low-cost carrier
Low-cost carrier
A low-cost carrier or low-cost airline is an airline that generally has lower fares and fewer comforts...
s (LCC) will be built at the airport at a cost of 600 million baht (15.8 million US dollars). The budget terminal will be located near Concourse A of the main terminal. It is capable of handling more than 20 million passengers per year. Its operating concept will be modeled after the LCC terminals of Kuala Lumpur International Airport
Kuala Lumpur International Airport
Kuala Lumpur International Airport , or KLIA serves the capital city of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, and is one of Southeast Asia's largest airports. It is also Malaysia's main international airport. It is situated in the Sepang district, in the south of the state of Selangor, about from Kuala Lumpur...
and Singapore Changi Airport
Singapore Changi Airport
Singapore Changi Airport , Changi International Airport, or simply Changi Airport, is the main airport in Singapore. A major aviation hub in Southeast Asia, it is about north-east from the commercial centre in Changi, on a site....
. However, Don Mueang has also been reopened and is being used by some low-cost domestic airlines, there are concerns whether the LCC terminal at Suvarnabhumi will be needed due to this and overcrowding concerns.
The airport's passenger terminal is the world's largest passenger terminal ever constructed in one phase at 563000 square metres (673,342.4 sq yd), and is also currently the fourth biggest passenger terminal building in the world, after the Hong Kong International Airport
Hong Kong International Airport
Hong Kong International Airport is the main airport in Hong Kong. It is colloquially known as Chek Lap Kok Airport , being built on the island of Chek Lap Kok by land reclamation, and also to distinguish it from its predecessor, the closed Kai Tak Airport.The airport opened for commercial...
(570000 square metres (681,714.3 sq yd)), Beijing Capital International Airport
Beijing Capital International Airport
Beijing Capital International Airport, is the main international airport serving Beijing, China. It is located northeast of Beijing's city center in an enclave of Chaoyang District that is surrounded by rural Shunyi District. The airport is owned and operated by the Beijing Capital...
(986000 square metres (1,179,246.2 sq yd)), with the largest passenger terminal being at Dubai International Airport
Dubai International Airport
Dubai International Airport is an international airport serving Dubai, the largest city of the United Arab Emirates. It is a major aviation hub in the Middle East, and is the main airport of Dubai. It is situated in the Al Garhoud district, southeast of Dubai...
(Terminal 3 is over 1500000 square metres (1,793,985.1 sq yd)). The airport's air-traffic control tower is still remaining as the tallest in the world's history at 132.2 metres (433.7 ft).
Suvarnabhumi Airport has 51 air bridges and 69 non air bridges. Additionally, flights are also able to park at remote locations on the ramp, from where airport buses transport passengers to and from the terminal.Suvarnabhumi Airport has 5 air bridges and 3 non air bridges for Airbus 380–800
Scheduled services
Charter services
Cargo services
Ground transportation
Airport Rail Link
The 30-billion baht Suvarnabhumi Airport Link was opened on 23 August 2010, after multiple delays. The Airport Rail Link (ARL) is operated by SRTET, a subsidiary company of the State Railway of ThailandState Railway of Thailand
The State Railway of Thailand is the state-owned rail operator in Thailand. The network sees around 50 million passengers per annum.-History:SRT was founded as the Royal State Railways of Siam in 1890...
. The standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
line is 28.6 kilometers long and is elevated for most its length, running mostly above existing regional railway lines and parallel to the No. 7 Motorway 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 has two interchange stations, namely Phaya Thai (changing for BTS Green Line
Bangkok Skytrain
The Bangkok Mass Transit System, commonly known as the BTS Skytrain , is an elevated rapid transit system in Bangkok, Thailand. It is operated by Bangkok Mass Transit System Public Company Limited under a concession granted by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration...
services) and Makkasan (linking Phetchaburi station of the MRT Blue Line
Bangkok Metro
The MRT , sometimes referred to as the Bangkok Metro, is Bangkok's underground metro system in Thailand. It was constructed under a concession concept...
). Two train services are operated: the non-stop Express Line trains run between Suvarnabhumi and Makkasan (at a maximum speed of 160 km/hour); the commuter City Line trains that run between Suvarnabhumi and Phaya Thai, calling at all stations. At the end of 2010, Makkasan station will also serve as the City Airport Terminal with parking and baggage check-in facilities offered to passengers using the Express 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, if the old Don Mueang International Airport is reopened for civil aviation under a dual-aiprort policy.
The Airport Rail Link operates daily from 6 am to 12 midnight. A single-trip journey costs between 15 and 45 Baht or 150 Baht on the City Line and Express Line service, respectively. Journeys on an Express Line train (non-stop to Makksan) and the City Line train (six stops to Phaya Thai) takes 15 and 27 minutes, respectively. Suvarnabhumi station is located right under the main terminal building (B1 Level, two floors below the Arrival Hall). As the connection walkway linking Makkasan and Phetchaburi MRT stations is currently under construction, passengers changing to other mass transit lines are advised to take a City Line train to Phaya Thai and change to the BTS Skytrain
Bangkok Skytrain
The Bangkok Mass Transit System, commonly known as the BTS Skytrain , is an elevated rapid transit system in Bangkok, Thailand. It is operated by Bangkok Mass Transit System Public Company Limited under a concession granted by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration...
from there.
Baggage check-in facilities for passengers travelling on flights operated by Thai Airways International
Thai Airways International
Thai Airways International Public Company Limited is the national flag carrier and largest airline of Thailand. Formed in 1988, the airline's headquarters are located in Chatuchak District, Bangkok, and operates out of Suvarnabhumi Airport. Thai is a founding member of the Star Alliance. Thai is a...
and Bangkok Airways
Bangkok Airways
Bangkok Airways Co., Ltd. is a regional airline based in Chatuchak District, Bangkok, Thailand. It operates scheduled services to destinations in Thailand, Cambodia, China, Laos, Maldives, Burma, India and Singapore...
are offered at Makkasan station (the city air terminal) from 8 am to 9 pm, daily. Passengers must check in their baggage at least 3 hours prior to the flight departure, or up to 12 hours in advance, and are required to purchase an Express Line ticket to Suvarnabhumi Airport.
Regional train
Meanwhile, SRTState Railway of Thailand
The State Railway of Thailand is the state-owned rail operator in Thailand. The network sees around 50 million passengers per annum.-History:SRT was founded as the Royal State Railways of Siam in 1890...
provides a suburban commuter train service between Hua Takhe (the nearest station to Suvarnabhumi on the East line) 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. Passengers pay a flat fare of Bt30. A shuttle bus service linking the airport with Hua Takhe railway station is provided by BMTA for Bt15. 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.
City bus
The airport express bus stopped running as of June 2011.12 air-conditioned city bus routes are operated by Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) serve the airport's dedicated bus terminal. City buses offer a cheaper alternative of Bt35 flat fare, compared with the airport express bus. However, passengers must take a shuttle bus to the public transportation center's bus terminal before they can board the regular city buses. The 12 routes available are as follows:
| Service | Destination | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| City Bus | ||
| 549 Suvarnabhumi | Minburi-Bangkapi | via Seri Thai Rd. |
| 550 Suvarnabhumi | Lat Phrao MRT Station Ratchada-Lat Phrao Intersection | |
| 551 Suvarnabhumi | Victory Monument | via Rama IX Rd. |
| 552 Suvarnabhumi | Hua Lumphong (Bangkok Central Railway Station) | via On Nut BTS station |
| 552A Suvarnabhumi | Samut Prakarn | (Phraeksa BMTA Depot) |
| 553 Suvarnabhumi | Samut Prakarn | (Crocodile Farm BMTA Depot) |
| 554 Suvarnabhumi | Rangsit via Don Mueang and Ram Indra Rd. | by expressway |
| 555 Suvarnabhumi | Rangsit via Don Mueang and Central Plaza Lad Phrao | by expressway |
| 556 Suvarnabhumi | Southern Bus Terminal via Ratchadamnoen Klang Rd. and Democracy Monument | by expressway |
| 557 Suvarnabhumi | Wongwian Yai | Out of Service |
| 558 Suvarnabhumi | Thonburi Housing Community – Central Plaza Rama II | |
| 559 Suvarnabhumi | Future Park Rangsit via Dream World | by expressway |
| Service | Destination | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Long-distance services | ||
| Transport Company Bus | Pattaya Pattaya Pattaya is a city in Thailand, located on the east coast of the Gulf of Thailand, about 165 km southeast of Bangkok located within but not part of Amphoe Bang Lamung in the province of Chonburi.... |
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| Transport Company Bus | Nong Khai Nong Khai Nong Khai is a city in North-East Thailand and is the capital of the Nong Khai Province... |
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Car
The airport has 5 main access routes. Among these the most convenient route is via the Bangkok Chon Buri Motorway (Highway No. 7). Another main airport entrance is in Samut Prakan province via the expressway from Bang Na to Bang Pakong.The airport has provided 5 convenient entrance routes. The main route is via the motorway in the north of Bangkok, directly connecting Bangkok's downtown and Chon Buri
Chonburi Province
Chonburi is a province of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Chachoengsao, Chanthaburi and Rayong. To the west is the Gulf of Thailand. The eastern seaboard is heavily industrialized and underpinned by shipping, transportation, tourism, and manufacturing industries, and second to only Bangkok...
province, the industrial and harbor city in eastern Thailand. However, another main airport entrance is located in Samut Prakan province, connecting an elevated highway in the south of Bangkok which lies from Bang Na to Bang Pakong.
Limousines
Additionally, flat-fare limousines are available at the Arrivals Level (2nd floor). Limousine services are provided by AOTAirports of Thailand
Airports of Thailand Public Company Limited is a large Thai public company, which handles several national airports. Its headquarters are in Don Mueang District, Bangkok....
and by a number of other licensed Limousine companies http://www.limousine.in.th.
BUS (Bor Khor Sor)
Bus Line 389 go to PattayaPattaya
Pattaya is a city in Thailand, located on the east coast of the Gulf of Thailand, about 165 km southeast of Bangkok located within but not part of Amphoe Bang Lamung in the province of Chonburi....
Bus Line 9905 go to Jomtien Beach
BUS Line 9906 – 1 go to U-Tapao International Airport
U-Tapao International Airport
-Charter services:-Accidents and incidents:On 28 October 1977, a Douglas DC-3 of Air Vietnam was hijacked to U-Tapao International Airport where the four hijackers surrendered. Two people on board the aircraft were killed in the hijacking...
get off at U-Tapao Station
Bus Line 9907 go to Chanthaburi
Chanthaburi
Chanthaburi ) is a town in the east of Thailand, at the banks of the Chanthaburi River. It is the capital of the Chanthaburi Province and the Mueang Chanthaburi district....
BUS Line 9909 go to Si Racha
Public taxi
Metered taxis are available on the ground level of the airport, one level down from the arrivals hall.Departure tax
Since 1 February 2007 the 700 BahtThai baht
The baht is the currency of Thailand. It is subdivided into 100 satang . The issuance of currency is the responsibility of the Bank of Thailand.-History:The baht, like the pound, originated from a traditional unit of mass...
departure tax
Departure tax
Departure tax is a fee charged to visitors of a country for leaving the country. Depending on the country situation, it can be charged at the airport to those about to catch a flight, or could be prepaid while purchasing an airline ticket....
is included in the price of flight tickets. Before that date, departing passengers had to pay the tax to officials or vending machines before they entered the immigration queues. The departure tax at Don Muang International Airport was 500 Baht per person.
See also
- Don Mueang International Airport
- List of airports in Thailand
External links
- Suvarnabhumi Airport Website
- Free Zone by Suvarnabhumi Airport Website
- Airports of Thailand Public Company Limited and the page of the Suvarnabhumi Airport
- Suvarnabhumi Airport Project information from Airport Technology