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Published on December 4, 2007

The on-again, off-again debate on whether Don Mueang Airport, which has been relegated to handling only domestic flights, should become Bangkok's second international airport is causing unnecessary confusion among members of the aviation industry and the general public. Airports of Thailand (AOT) appears to hold out hope for a dual international airport system despite the strong objection voiced by aviation officials on the ground that such a move would compromise operational efficiency and pose a logistical nightmare.

The AOT's main concern now is that it would rather delay or avoid investing an additional Bt67 billion in Suvarnabhumi Airport by building a third runway, as well as adding terminal and docking areas in order to increase its passenger-handling capacity to 60 million a year from its current 45 million, which is what it would have to do if the airport were to be fully utilised by 2008. If the construction of the new runway and facilities goes ahead as planned, AOT will incur a further debt burden that is expected to weigh on the company's performance for the next several years to come. But then AOT has known that it would from the very beginning.

The AOT owns and operates six airports in Thailand: Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and Hat Yai. The aviation industry's opposition to AOT's plan to upgrade Don Mueang, so that it once again handles international flights, is supported by 26,000 employees of Thai Airways International. Virtually all international airlines have already invested heavily in passenger- and cargo-handling facilities at Suvarnabhumi Airport, which opened in September of last year.

If Don Mueang were to be reopened for international flights, these airlines would incur additional operating expenses at both locations. That's why they prefer Suvarnabhumi as Bangkok's sole international airport. The aviation industry has other compelling reasons for a single international airport system. Turning Don Mueang into another international airport would pose logistical problems that could prove to be very disruptive of airport operations.

In the absence of a fast and reliable rail-based transport system linking Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports, passengers who need to meet connecting flights would find doing so difficult and inconvenient. What's more, a dual international airport system would raise the cargo-handling costs of airlines and cargo agents, as they would need to be able to move cargo from one airport to the other.

It may be true that a decision must be made soon to expand Suvarnabhumi Airport, which is a fast-growing regional aviation hub, if the problems of congestion and flight delays are to be avoided. But turning Don Mueang into an international airport again must not be considered as one of the options. After all, the passenger- and cargo-handling capacity of Suvarnabhumi Airport can still be maximised through improvements in operational efficiency while the construction of a new runway and additional facilities is under way over the next few years.

There is no reason why the expansion of Suvarnabhumi Airport should not go ahead as planned. Making Don Mueang Thailand's second international airport would defeat the whole purpose behind the government's effort to promote Suvarnabhumi Airport as the regional aviation hub for Southeast Asia. Thailand would be sending a confusing signal to the international aviation industry if it switched to a dual international airport system now. As it is, Don Mueang must be confined to handling only domestic flights, which do not require international connections.

Another reason why the interim government should not be rushed into making a decision on the future of Don Mueang is the widespread suspicion that certain vested interests are behind the move to reopen the airport to international flights. Transport Minister Theera Haocharoen made the correct decision when he announced yesterday that the democratically elected government to emerge from the December 23 election would have the final say on this.

Even so, any possible use of Don Mueang for international flights must be conditional on a reliable and efficient rail link with Suvarnabhumi Airport and be based on a careful cost-benefit analysis, and, ultimately, the national interest.

The Nation