What involvement have you had with the opening of the Star Alliance section at the new airport?

As you know, Singapore Airlines is a member of Star Alliance and we have been working closely with Airports of Thailand and Thai Airways International. Testing procedures are under way to identify the areas that need work, and from what we are seeing, every effort is being made to have the airport ready by the opening date. We have made plans for how we will operate during the transition between airports. Our ground-handling services are provided by Thai Airways so we are working closely with them during the transition. When THAI is ready, we will be ready.

Though it is not easy to open a new airport, we learnt about it from the experience of others including Hong Kong's Chok Lap Kok airport and Malaysia's new airport.  Patience will be needed by all during the transitional phase. However, everyone should remember that this is a positive and welcome development that will have long term benefits for both airlines and consumers.

What do you see as the main differences between Don Muang and Suvarnabhumi?

Suvarnabhumi's infrastructure is so much better. The new airport will be more impressive, checking in will be done in one step and new technology like the CTX luggage-scanner system will be used. As the airport is very big and passengers won't know it well, we will show them how it works.

What facilities does Suvarnabhumi have that Don Muang doesn't?

We have 20 per cent more check-in counters at the new airport, so checking in will be faster.

Will you have more staff at the new airport?

Yes, we will have additional staff, some of whom will be on standby when operations begin.

What sort of lounge will Singapore Airlines offer at Suvarnabhumi?

At Don Muang we had our own lounge called SilverKris. At Suvarnabhumi we will share THAI's lounges. Our passengers are invited to use the Thai Airways Royal First and the Royal Silk Lounge at Suvarnabhumi, both of which are very impressive.

Will you be increasing flights?

No. We will continue operating 54 flights a week to Singapore, Tokyo and Osaka.

Given the negative reports that have been coming out of the country regarding politics, aviation competition and problems with the new airport, do you think Thailand can still grow as an aviation hub?

The development of hubs is a natural consequence of the pace of growth we are seeing across the region. And all successful hubs have been progressively modernising their infrastructure to deal with that growth.

Do you think Suvarnabhumi Airport is in a better location to grow as a hub?

I would say that no single hub is more important than any other. All serve distinct markets. We can foresee more hub growth, with the expansion of services in India, China and Dubai. They'll each create their own hubs, but they'll also generate traffic.

Will this lead to greater airline competition? And is this a good thing?

Competition is always good for customers because it offers increased choice, better services and reduced prices.

Have you ordered any new aircraft?

We have ordered 19 planes and may order six A380s.

What do you expect the transition from Don Muang will be like when it shuts down on September 27?

We have invested Bt7 million on offices and technology at Suvarnabhumi Airport. All airlines will be operating from there as of September 28. Airports of Thailand is working closely with all airlines to ensure a smooth transition to the new airport.

Is it correct that Singapore Airlines will be cancelling some flights that day?

Yes, we will cancel flight SQ68 on September 27 and flight SQ61 on September 28 because of weak customer demand and to avoid having to transfer empty aircraft between airports. All other flights will run as per normal at Suvarnabhumi.

What is the impact on the industry of the emergence of low-cost airlines?

In the aviation industry, competition has always been heavy. Low-cost carriers serve the passengers who don't want extra services. They are certainly playing a role in expanding the market. Though they can offer very cheap prices, it is not easy for them to do well as high fuel prices and operating costs keep reducing their profit margins.

Pana Janviroj,

Suchat Sritama

The Nation