One airport is enough, says world aviation body
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has repeated its criticism of Thailand's plan to operate two airports in Bangkok, saying the move will lead to the country losing its competitiveness in its bid to become the region's aviation hub.
Albert Tjoeng, the IATA's manager of corporate communications for the Asia-Pacific, said the use of two airports ran counter to Thailand's aviation master plan, and he urged both the government and airport operator Airports of Thailand (AOT) to scrap the reopening of Don Muang Airport. Services are due to resume at the reopened Don Muang next Sunday. "The IATA strongly supports a single airport in Bangkok," Tjoeng said. "If the government is trying to make Bangkok a regional aviation hub, this move is not the right way to do it. "I do not understand why AOT never got further investment funds for Suvarnabhumi Airport as planned, and I am confused over the reopening of Don Muang." Tjoeng said that if Bangkok wanted to be an aviation hub, it would eventually have to return to just one airport, and he urged the authorities to follow the original master plan. Part of this plan was the construction of a second passenger terminal at Suvarnabhumi Airport to meet higher demand. Moreover, AOT planned to build a low-cost terminal at the new airport to serve budget airlines. These additional facilities could probably accommodate up to 100 million passengers a year in the future. Tjoeng pointed out that a major consideration in creating an aviation hub was easing times for passengers' connecting flights to meet an international minimum of 60 minutes. "I cannot imagine how passengers will move between two airports in Bangkok without a train [service]," Tjoeng said. "We have sent many letters to the airport operator, AOT and the Thai government advising the amendment of plans to use two airports." Tjoeng said Bangkok was different from other cities that had more than one airport, such as Tokyo and Hong Kong. Those cities needed two airports because they could not expand, due to space limitations. They also completed mass-transportation systems [between the airports and the city] before operating two airports. The IATA is also baulking at AOT's plan to increase parking and landing fees at Suvarnabhumi Airport by 15 per cent next month. Tjoeng said the adjustment would make operational costs at Suvarnabhumi higher than in other regional airports, particularly in Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia. "Neither AOT nor the Thai government discussed this plan with the airlines, or any outside bodies, prior to making the decision," he said.
Suchat Sritama The Nation
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