First test flight lands successfully at Suvarnabhmi Airport

[butterflyblonde]

BANGKOK: -- The first commercial test flight from Don Muang Airport to Bangkok's new Suvarnabhumi Airport of Thai Airways International (THAI), the national flag carrier, landed successfully at the new airport Saturday morning as scheduled.

The THAI Boeing 747-400 aircraft, flight TG181, carrying Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, other cabinet members, senior government officials and some other 400 passengers, landed to make a place in history at 08:09 a.m. at Suvarnabhumi Airport.

THAI offered a special airfare of Bt999 for the inaugural commercial flight from Don Muang Airport to Suvarnabhumi Airport.

Prime Minister Thaksin told journalists before boarding the flight that he was excited and delighted that finally the Bangkok's new international airport was successfully developed after more than four decades in planning.

Upon his arrival at the new airport, the prime minister is scheduled to take some hours to visit and inspect the readiness of all its facilities before flying back to Don Muang Airport.

THAI and five other commercial airlines, including Nok Air, Thai Air Asia, Orient Thai, P.B. Air and Bangkok Airways, join the commercial flight tests for Suvarnabhumi Airport with special flights on Saturday.

The first flight of the national airline is to be followed by 21 other domestic flights throughout the day.

The Department of Aviation has already issued an Interim Aerodome Certificate for the Suvarnabhumi Airport giving operational permission to the new facility.

Many airlines, including THAI, Bangkok Airways and Air Asia, have announced that they plan to open new international routes to serve the commercial opening of Suvarnabhumi Airport on September 28.

With the scheduled opening of the country's new international airport only a few months away, complete testing of its facilities has begun since July 3 to ensure that the national showcase is fully ready for its launch.

The tests include the airport's air-conditioning and lighting systems, passenger check-in counters, customes services and the operation of its CTX bomb scanners.

The eight-storey airport complex, including an underground level, where there will be electric mass transit facilities and passenger terminals, has a total area of some 563,000 square metres and can cater to 45 million passengers annually.

Meanwhile, the Department of Land Transport has affirmed the readiness of transport services for passengers to the new airport.

The department said that transport services to the new Bangkok international airport include limousines, airport buses, and an airport express service.

Airport buses, including inter-provincial bus services, will be run by the Transport Co., Ltd and the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA).

The airport express service, operated by the Thonburi Service Co., Ltd., will provide buses running through the capital's business areas and to downtown hotels in areas such as Silom and Wireless Roads.

Prime Minister Thaksin said the transport service to the new airport is not aimed to reap benefit, but to promote the kingdom globally.

Bus access and seating is also modified to facilitate passengers with disabilities, according to the Thai leader.

--TNA 2006-07-29

[Crustasian]

What a cover up job.

Test flight to test facilities -my arsse.

Lets see:-

How many passengers had luggage to be processed??

Was the airport busy faciliting 40,000 departing passengers
at the time?

How many invalids with wheelchairs?

I could go on but I think you get the picture.

[erik1]

Well I will test it on the 28th it seems at 7 in the morning haha we will see, I will tell the misses to look for me at Don Muang and when I am not there go to the hotel straight away

[Tyfon]

They don't mention how long it took Taksin to get from the airport to the Nana Hotel and whether the taxi driver tried to rip him off by not using the meter...

Crusty: Lighten up, they have to start somewhere. Or were you expecting them to simply divert all traffic from DM on the same day and then measure success by how many unused body bags they have left over?

[erik1]

News from one of the airlines. On the 28th of september they will be just landing on DM

[Sirgezza]

Originally Posted by erik1

News from one of the airlines. On the 28th of september they will be just landing on DM

It will look like a parking lot for aeroplanes by the end of the week

[faultytowers]

Originally Posted by erik1

On the 28th of september they will be just landing on DM

Knew Dirty Mike was a helicopter , but didn't think he was a landing strip.

[Crustasian]

Originally Posted by Tyfon

...

Crusty: Lighten up, they have to start somewhere. Or were you expecting them to simply divert all traffic from DM on the same day and then measure success by how many unused body bags they have left over?

Suffice it to say most locals here are now booking flights via either KL or Singapore.

I was just pointing out that one flight in does not constitute a real test.

[Talbotman]

The location of the new hotel is interesting as well i went past the exit for it on my way from pattaya to bangkok last month i reckon its 40 minutes from pattaya and at least 1 hour 10 minutes from the sukhumvit road hotels in bangkok (and thats not allowing for bad traffic)

personally although i enjoy a couple of days in bangkok its now going to be easier to stay in pattaya for the first few days then fly from either the new airport or UTAPAO to phuket then back to patts for the last few days of your stay thats what i am planning in march anyway !

[IJ]

Originally Posted by Talbotman

The location of the new hotel is interesting as well i went past the exit for it on my way from pattaya to bangkok last month i reckon its 40 minutes from pattaya and at least 1 hour 10 minutes from the sukhumvit road hotels in bangkok (and thats not allowing for bad traffic)

personally although i enjoy a couple of days in bangkok its now going to be easier to stay in pattaya for the first few days then fly from either the new airport or UTAPAO to phuket then back to patts for the last few days of your stay thats what i am planning in march anyway !

HEY TOMMY...
I FLY TO BKK ON OCTOBER 19..DO YOU THINK IT WILL BE INTO THE NEW AP OR THE OLD AP? IF ITS THE NEW AP IT WILL MAKE MY SPIN TO PATTS VERY QUICK....
IJ

[landofsmiles]

I was actually passing the new airport as the 1st flight came in to land and managed to capture this amazing photo

[jimbulljag]

If I'm not mistaken, I believe Issan Air is flying the exact same plane, though i think they are using brown paper not white.

[Simbo]

Being an International Space Station I have no idea where I'll be able to land.