Don Muang Int'l Airport New Wing

[Isan]

http://tinypic.com/65stph

http://tinypic.com/65su0w

http://tinypic.com/65su43

http://tinypic.com/65su9z

http://tinypic.com/65suc7

[kiku99]

much better than the old wing, of course:)

[Hitesh]

..

[Isan]

I went there :)

http://tinypic.com/669o3q

http://tinypic.com/65pcpd

[rayman]

why they build a new one when they gonna close down this year??

[Hitesh]

..

[pon]

I remember I've used this wing in Nov. 2003.
So it is at least 3 years old now.
And I think Don Muang airport will be in use until mid 2006. I guess the new airport will be completed in hardware by this Sep. or Oct. after that they will take about 9 months for software installing, testing, training,...before openning.

[Isan]

http://tinypic.com/6o215d.jpg

http://tinypic.com/6o21xg.jpg

http://tinypic.com/6o21p5.jpg

[Isan]

First two CTX scanners arrive

Published on July 30, 2005

Greeting the arrival of the first two CTX explosives scanners yesterday, Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit beamed with pride as he presided over the welcoming ceremonies. Suriya showed up twice at Don Muang airport, at 9.15am and 12.20pm, where two cargo flights carrying the CTX machines landed. He also turned up in the afternoon at Suvarnabhumi Airport, where the two CTX machines arrived in trucks.

The minister undid the cardboard containers of the CTX machines himself while posing for photographers with a broad smile on his face. The CTX machines were then stored in a THAI Cargo warehouse to await installation.

“The arrival of the CTX machines today certainly counters the opposition allegations [surrounding me]. It proves that the Bt1.7 billion paid to secure the equipment has not been wasted,” he said.

He said another two CTX machines were on the way while another six were pending air transport from San Francisco. All 26 CTX machines will arrive in Thailand by August 10 and will be installed by September 29, he added.

ITO Joint Venture, the prime contractor in the procurement of the CTX machines, will face a daily fine of Bt2.5 million if both deadlines are not met.

Arrival of the CTX machines yesterday did not impress members of the parliamentary committees probing the CTX scandal.

Senator Prathin Santipraphob, chairman of the Senate investigation panel, said the arrival of CTX machines would not stop his team from further scrutinising the affair. He also called on Suriya to make public the pricing details for direct purchase of the machines by Airports of Thailand (AOT) from US manufacturer Ge InVision.

Deputy chairman Phanas Thassaneeyanont said the CTX machines were late, given that they were originally scheduled for delivery in December 2004. “He shouldn’t be that happy: only two machines have come,” he added.

Democrat MP Suwaroj Palang, chairman of the House committee on justice and human rights, called on the Transport Ministry and the AOT to make a joint announcement soon, explaining to the public how much each individual CTX machine had cost in the direct purchase deal.

Deputy chairman and Democrat MP Sirichoke Sopha said he would exercise his right as a citizen under the 1997 Information Act to require both Suriya and the AOT to make public all documents concerning the deal.

Sombat Amornwiwat, director of the Department of Special Investigation, said his task force was working to trace payments and money transactions among all subcontracted parties to detect whether they had been lawfully made and in accordance with the contract.

[fridaynightlights]

It's obviously unusually big compared to the other old wings :o

[Speed]

what will they do with Don Muang airport when they finish the new one?? for cargo flights or for budget airline flights/charter flights?

[Isan]

They have a planning for idea to convertion into exhibition after moved next year

[Isan]

http://tinypic.com/afir0g.jpg

http://tinypic.com/afircx.jpg

http://tinypic.com/afirmh.jpg

[Isan]

10 months after to say Good-Bye to Don Muang :angel1:


Departure Hall @ 2/F
http://tinypic.com/dwz7k2.jpg

http://tinypic.com/dwz7nd.jpg

[Isan]

http://tinypic.com/fu1du9.jpg

http://tinypic.com/fu1e68.jpg

[Isan]

Don Muang as a convention hub

Much has been said about the role that Suvarnabhumi Airport might play by enabling Bangkok to become a regional aviation hub. Some 40 years in the making, Bangkok's new airport is now clearly overdue, with Don Muang International Airport acknowledged as having been a bottleneck for two years.

But, while the talk and the publicity has mostly been about progress of the new airport, little has been said about the future role of Don Muang after the opening of Suvarnabhumi, which is now expected to be some time next year.

One proposal has been that Don Muang should continue to offer aviation services solely for low-cost airlines, irregular chartered flights and personal jets.

This has been welcomed by representatives of most of the budget airlines, even if it does introduce a problem for any passenger needing to make an international connection to a flight on a regular airline out of Suvarnabhumi.

This proposal has been approved in principle by a Transport Ministry committee chaired by senior ministerial adviser Mahidol Chandrangurn, while the details are yet to be finalised.

What should be done is to find a new and ambitious role for this well-connected but sprawling conglomeration of hangars, runways and terminals - one that will provide jobs to nourish the community around it, that will generate revenues for the country and that will attract foreign currency to Thailand and also stimulate tourism, thus enhancing Bangkok's overall status as the hub for Southeast Asia.

We believe that the facilities and infrastructure at Don Muang International Airport are eminently suited to be developed to become the venue for what could be Southeast Asia's largest convention centre, one that would enable Thailand to host mega-events at a region-wide level, competing with Singapore, Hong Kong and Shanghai for the privilege of playing host to tens of thousands of foreign visitors on a daily basis.

Don Muang could and should maintain its status as an airport - both to serve budget airlines and especially for the charter flights that such a convention and conference centre should stimulate - but maybe we can forego the parking for private jets, if this would limit the size of the exhibition space, combined with the on-site hotel accommodation and the parking facilities that would be needed.

Large hotel chains should be happy to win franchises to build and maintain on-site accommodation and this should mitigate the investment outlay, while much of the site should be ready and waiting for development in a few months' time after the new airport opens.

Anyone who visits Germany's Hannover Messe, where the annual CeBIT technology expo is held, the Las Vegas Convention Centre for the Consumer Electronics Show or China's Shang-haimart can see for themselves how these venues help both the national and local economies.

Thailand's private sector has already made some steps in this direction, beginning with the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre, the Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Centre (Bitec) and Muang Thong Thani's Impact Arena. And yet, none of these excellent venues compares with the capacity and facilities at the world's mega-convention centres - and none enjoy the excellent road, rail and air links that Don Muang airport is blessed with.

A government with a vision of Thailand as a regional hub for meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (Mice) could lay the groundwork for a world-class convention centre at Don Muang.

After all, Thailand is a preferred destination for business meetings and conferences; possibly all we need are the right facilities to help make many more such meetings happen here.

For the moment, Suvarnabhumi Airport has had more than its fair share of superlatives. Perhaps, a few should be found for the Don Muang Airport of the future?

[Isan]

Runway repairs to worsen congestion
BOONSONG KOSITCHOTETHANA

The main runway at Don Muang International Airport will undergo major repairs next month, which will worsen airport congestion which is already at a critical stage. The repair involves resurfacing the 1,400-metre stretch of the 3,700-metre western runway, code named 21R-03L, which heavy use has made uneven.

The paving of the stretch, where the aircraft takes off and touches down, will last from Jan 23 to Feb 16.

It will be the first major repair in six years for the runway which has been used more often than the other, smaller runway, the eastern runway 21L-03R, which is 3,500 metres long and 45 metres wide.

Airline executives have expressed concern about the reduced capacity of the runway that will add to the woes they are already facing with take-off and landing queues.

It has become usual for commercial jets, international and domestic, to wait an average of 20-30 minutes on the tarmac for their turn to take off.

Similarly, incoming airliners have to spend up to 30 minutes circling the skies around Bangkok before getting clearance to land.

During peak hours, Don Muang now handles an average of 57 take-offs and landings an hour _ a frequency which is beyond its comfortable capacity.

While airlines questioned the timing for the resurfacing, which will take place during the high season traffic period, the Airports of Thailand Plc (AoT) insisted there is no better time to carry out the work.

''We can only do the job well when there is no rain, and that time of year is the driest,'' said Flt Lt Pinit Saraithong, general manager of Don Muang International Airport.

The repairs needed to be carried out before the extent of the runway damage deepens and becomes unsafe for aircraft. The resurfacing will also prevent damage to aircraft's landing gear, he added.

Flt Lt Pinit acknowledged the repairs would worsen congestion.

''There is no better way out of this and I believe airlines accept it.''

To solve the short-term problem, carriers which deploy smaller aircraft, domestic and low-cost airlines, and air force planes, will be required to use the western runway.

Larger airliners which need a longer runway will be told to use the eastern runway. AoT has commissioned Pornsawan Construction Co, a local contractor, to carry out the runway resurfacing, as well as repairing taxiways B and C, at a cost of 31.85 million baht.