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New Suvarnabhumi Airport goes to new heights
The passenger terminal at Bangkok’s new airport will be
one of the largest in the world and the most technologically advanced,
according to Thailand’s transport minister.
“The terminal will have a usable area of 530,000 square
meters, which is 30,000 square meters larger than the Hong Kong airport and
we are doing everything we can to make Suvarnabhumi a truly world-class
facility,” Suriya Jungrungreangkit, said.
He said piers were being built to facilitate double-deck
disembarkation from the Airbus A380 aircraft that will start flying at about
the same time the new airport opens.
In addition to state-of-the-art hardware, Suvarnabhumi
will also have the best software, particularly when it comes to security.
“We have been in close consultation with the Americans to ensure that our
security systems, X-ray equipment and so on are all to the highest
standards,” Suriya said.
The move from the existing airport at Don Muang to the
new airport 25 kilometers east of Bangkok is being planned by the
International Civil Aviation Organization, and the airport will open on time
on 29 September 2005, said the minister.
Suriya also declared that high-speed elevated rail link
between central Bangkok and the new airport should be up and running by June
2006, two years earlier than previously reported. (TTG Asia)
Air-India Flies “special people” on 71st Anniversary
Air-India has flown millions of people to far off corners
of the world in a wide range of aircraft over the years. But to commemorate
the 71st Anniversary of JRD Tata’s historic flight from Karachi to Mumbai
via Ahmedabad on October 15, 1932, the national carrier flew 340 special
passengers over Mumbai in a Boeing 747-400 aircraft “Ajanta” with a
message of love and hope.
This flight AI-071 was organized on the request of social
service organizations themed “Make a Wish Foundation”, sponsored by
Indian Cancer Society, Jyoti Seva Sangh - Apang Seva and Sulabha Trust for
Special Education and Research. Most of these special passengers are either
terminally ill or mentally and physically challenged.
The children had never had the opportunity of traveling
in an aircraft. As passengers, they went through the normal procedure of
being checked-in, were issued their boarding and went through security
checks, before embarkation. The kids were welcomed on board by Air-India’s
courteous cabin crew and introduced to the Air-India ‘Maharajah’. The
plane then took off on a magical route over Mumbai.
On board, the children were deeply engrossed in a drawing
competition specially organized for them. Prizes and mementoes were
distributed on board.
Bangkok Airways pulls plug on Hua Hin
Bangkok Airways dropped its year-old Bangkok-Hua Hin
service effective October 25, delivering a severe blow to tourism prospects
for the resort. The service had become a key marketing tool for Hua Hin
hoteliers and the Tourism Authority of Thailand, but the airline said the
service was losing too much money.
The airline’s corporate communications director, Ms. M
L Nandhika Varavam, said load factor was only about 40 per cent and there
was no immediate prospect of an improvement.
“We set up golf promotions and tried to get people to
use the service instead of going by road, but it just wasn’t working. We
have suspended the flight indefinitely,” Nandhika said. She said the
aircraft used on the service would be redeployed on either the Bangkok-Koh
Samui route, or for the Mekong World Heritage Tour. (TTG Asia)
Arrivals to Hong Kong almost back to normal
Passengers going through the Hong Kong International
Airport this September were down five per cent compared to the some month in
2002. The September figure was down 13 per cent compared to August when
airlines and travel agents were offering generous discounts and special
deals.
An Airport Authority spokesman said numbers were back to
95 per cent of the pre-SARS level. Visitors from China were up 43 per cent
but long-haul arrivals from North America and Europe were down 12.5 per cent
and 24.8 per cent respectively. (TTG Asia)
Emirates sponsors Asian top football event
Emirates Airline sponsors Asia’s premier football
events including the newly formed AFC Champions League, and the Asian Cup,
which will be held in China in 2004. Emirates features on all AFC publicity
material including perimeter boards in stadiums throughout Asia, and a
ticketing facility for all the official AFC tournaments.
The Asian Football Confederation comprises of 44 national
associations and is the largest and most diverse of FIFA’s six governing
bodies. Following the outstanding success of the 2002 FIFA World Cup, Asian
football’s popularity has never been higher, and with Emirates Airline,
Asian football fans can soon be flying high too.
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