Don Mueang Airport Finally Re-Opens, Only Nok Air Return

8th Mar 2012

Don Mueang International Airport opened for business this Tuesday, five months after having been closed in October 25 due to the worst flooding seen in Thailand in nearly 60 years.

Kanphat Mangkhlasiri, Don Mueang's director had earlier confirmed the airport was in 100% operational capacity a week before it resumed operations.

At present, only budget carrier Nok Air has returned to resume their scheduled service. It began the transfer of its fleet of 14 aircraft Monday after completing its scheduled service at the Suvarnabhumi International Airport where it temporarily relocated last year.

Nok Air and Orient Thai, the two main domestic airlines that held the base of its flight operations at the Don Mueang International Airport, were forced to transfer to the newer Suvarnabhumi International Airport after Don Mueang's forced closure from the heavy flooding that occurred last August.

According to a Nok Air press release, facilities at the Don Mueang, like the airport's Terminal 1, primarily used for Nok Air operational support, were mostly spared from flood damage and are currently all-systems-go for resuming regularly scheduled flights.

Nok Air, which operates 35 domestic flights per day, further said it will continue with its original flight dates and scheduled times, including passenger check-in service for Row 6 at the third floor of Don Mueang's Terminal 1.

The airline also expressed its relief at returning to its home base from the heavily-congested Suvarnabhumi, which now serves 51 million passengers beyond its 45 million capacity. Nok Air reported its on-time performance had slumped from 96 percent pre-flood at the Don Mueang to 28 percent at the Suvarnabhumi.

Orient Thai, another budget airline, has expressed it has no intention of returning to Don Mueang from the Suvarnabhumi International Airport where it likewise relocated last October.

The low-cost airline founder Udom Tantiprasongchai said Orient Thai will continue operating in Suvarnabhumi despite the air traffic congestion rather than 'shifting' its base 'back and forth' as it has done three times in the last five years of Suvarnabhumi's opening, incurring astronomical relocation costs, and causing confusion among passengers.

Orient Thai says the reason for this decision is due to Thailand's unclear policy and lack of support over Don Mueang's role, where authorities of the state-controlled airport appeared to be sending out a confusing mix of signals since the airport opened post-flooding.

Airports of Thailand (AoT) is lobbying for the Transport Ministry for a change in policy guidelines allowing more airlines, and particularly, international flights, to operate via Don Mueang. However, the International Air Transport Association (IATA), is protesting this move, and instead wants the government to focus on making Suvarnabhumi the sole international air hub for Bangkok.

Currently, Nok Air has the entire Don Mueang Airport and its facilities to itself as no other airlines, domestic or international, have forwarded their intention to stage its flight operations from Bangkok's old airport.

Before the flooding, Don Mueang served as a busy flight hub serving an average of 39 million passengers per year. By September 2011, only 3.97 million air passengers passed through the airport.

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