Suvarnabhumi Airport

Suvarnabhumi Airport
ท่าอากาศยานสุวรรณภูมิ
Summary
Airport type Public
Operator Airports of Thailand PCL (AOT)
Serves Bangkok and Samut Prakan
Location 999 Moo 1 Racha Thewa, Bang Phli, Samut Prakan, Thailand
Hub for
Focus city for
Elevation AMSL 5 ft / 2 m
Coordinates 13°41′33″N 100°45′00″E / 13.69250°N 100.75000°E / 13.69250; 100.75000Coordinates: 13°41′33″N 100°45′00″E / 13.69250°N 100.75000°E / 13.69250; 100.75000
Website [1]
Map
BKK
BKK
BKK
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
01R/19L 4,000 13,123 Asphalt concrete
01L/19R 3,700 12,139 Asphalt concrete
3rd Runway (Planning) 3,700 12,139 Asphalt concrete
Statistics (2017)
Total passengers 60,860,704 Increase8.9%
International passengers 49,536,015 Increase7.5%
Domestic passengers 11,334,689 Increase13.4%
Aircraft movements 350,508 Increase6.1%
Freight (tonnes) 1,439,913 Increase10.2%
Sources: Airport[2]

Suvarnabhumi Airport (RTGS: Suwannaphum, pronounced [sùʔ.wān.nā.pʰūːm] ( listen)[3]) (IATA: BKK, ICAO: VTBS), also known unofficially as Bangkok Airport,[4][5] is one of two international airports serving Bangkok, Thailand. The other is Don Mueang International Airport.[6][7] Suvarnabhumi covers an area of 3,240 hectares (8,000 acres), making it one of the biggest international airports in Southeast Asia and a regional hub for aviation.

Suvarnabhumi was officially opened for limited domestic flight service on 15 September 2006, and opened for most domestic and all international commercial flights on 28 September 2006.[8]

The airport is currently the main hub for Thai Airways International, Thai Smile Airways, and Bangkok Airways. It also serves as regional gateway and connecting point for various foreign carriers.

The airport is on what had formerly been known as Nong Nguhao (Cobra Swamp) in Racha Thewa in Bang Phli, Samut Prakan, about 25 kilometres (16 mi) east of downtown Bangkok. The terminal building was designed by Helmut Jahn of Murphy / Jahn Architects. It was constructed primarily by ITO JV. The airport had the world's tallest free-standing control tower (132.2 metres or 434 feet) from 2006 to 2014,[9] and the world's fourth largest single-building airport terminal (563,000 square metres or 6,060,000 square feet).

Suvarnabhumi is the 21st busiest airport in the world,[10] ninth busiest airport in Asia, and the busiest in the country, having handled 53 million passengers in 2012,[11] and is also a major air cargo hub, with a total of 95 airlines. On social networks, Suvarnabhumi was the world's most popular site for taking Instagram photographs in 2012.[12]

The airport inherited the airport code, BKK, from Don Mueang after the previous airport ceased international commercial flights. The modern Motorway 7 connects the airport, Bangkok, and the heavily industrial eastern seaboard of Thailand, where most export manufacturing takes place.

Etymology

The name Suvarnabhumi is Sanskrit for "Land of Gold" (Devanagari: IAST: Suvarṇabhūmi; Suvarṇa[13] is "Gold", Bhūmi[14] is "Land"; literally "Golden Land"). The name was chosen by the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej which the name Bhūmi was being part of the monarch's profile and as it named after him and refers to the Hindu-Buddhist golden kingdom, theorised to have been located to the east of the Ganges, possibly somewhere in Southeast Asia. In Thailand, government proclamations and national museums insist that Suvarnabhumi was somewhere in the coast of central plain, near the ancient city of U Thong, which might be the origin of the Indianised Dvaravati culture.[15] Although the claims have not been substantiated by any historical records, the Thai government named the new Bangkok airport Suvarnabhumi Airport, in celebration of this tradition.

History

Terminal interior
Border between the concourse and the terminal seen from the arrival area
Terminal
Departure hall
A play area, entitled Wonder World, at the airport's departure lounge
A depiction of the "Churning of the Cosmic Ocean" – Samudra manthan at the airport

Land purchase, early construction

The need for the new airport was recognized in 1973 when 8,000 acres of land was purchased 40 kilometres east of Bangkok. The site, known as Cobra Swamp, was drained and named Suvarnabhumi, meaning "realm of gold". On 14 October 1973, student-led protests led to the overthrow of the military government of Prime Minister Thanom Kittikachorn and the project was shelved.

After a series of ups and downs, the "New Bangkok International Airport" company (NBIA) was formed in 1996. Due to political and economic instabilities, notably the Asian financial crisis of 1997, construction did not begin until six years later in January 2002 by the government of Thaksin Shinawatra.

Early construction, airport tests, and official opening

The airport was due to open in late 2005, but a series of budget overruns, construction flaws, and allegations of corruption plagued the project.

A further delay was caused by the discovery that the airport had been built over an old graveyard. Superstitious construction workers claimed to have seen ghosts there. On 23 September 2005, the Thai airports authority held a ceremony where 99 Buddhist monks chanted to appease the spirits.[16]

Full tests of the airport took place on 3 and 29 July 2006. Six airlines—Thai Airways International, Nok Air, Thai Air Asia, Bangkok Airways, PBair, and One-Two-GO—used the airport as a base for twenty domestic flights.[17][18] The first international test flights were conducted on 1 September 2006. Two Thai Airways aircraft, a Boeing 747-400 and an Airbus A300-600, simultaneously departed the airport at 09:19 to Singapore and Hong Kong. At 15:50 the same aircraft flew back and made simultaneous touchdowns on runways 19L and 19R. These test flights demonstrated the readiness of the airport to handle traffic.

On 15 September 2006, the airport started limited daily operations with Jetstar Asia Airways operating three Singapore to Bangkok flights. Bangkok Airways moved to the airport on 21 September. AirAsia and Thai AirAsia followed on 25 September and on 26 September Nok Air moved to Suvarnabhumi Airport. During this initial phase, as well as in the previous tests, the airport used the temporary IATA code NBK.

Suvarnabhumi officially opened at 03:00 on 28 September 2006, taking over all flights from Don Mueang. The first flight to arrive was a Lufthansa Cargo flight LH8442 from Mumbai at 03:05.[19] The first commercial arrival was Japan Airlines at 03:30. The first passenger arrival was Aerosvit flight VV171 from Kiev at 04:30, and the first cargo departure was Saudi Arabian Airlines flight SV-984 to Riyadh at 05:00.[20] Aerosvit also had the first passenger departure (VV172 to Kiev) around 05:30.[21]

Initial difficulties

Difficulties were reported in the first few days of the airport's operation. On the first day alone, sluggish luggage handling was common—the first passenger arrival by Aerosvit took an hour for the luggage to start coming out, and some flights did not have their luggage coming out even after four hours. Flights were delayed (Thai Airways claimed that 17 of 19 flights were delayed that day), and there were failures with the check-in system.[22][23] Subsequent problems included the failure of the cargo computer system, and the departure boards displaying the wrong information, resulting in confused passengers (especially as unlike Don Mueang, there were no "final calls" issued).[24]

Months after its opening, issues of congestion, construction quality, signage, provision of facilities, and soil subsidence continued to plague the project, prompting calls to reopen Don Mueang to allow for repairs to be made.[25] Expert opinions varied widely on the extent of Suvarnabhumi's problems as well as their root cause. Most airlines stated that damage to the airport was minimal.[26][27] Then Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont reopened Don Mueang for domestic flights on a voluntary basis on 16 February 2007, with 71 weekly flights moved back initially, but no international flights.[28]

Capacity and safety issues

Tarmac problems

In January 2007, ruts were discovered in the runways at Suvarnabhumi.[29] The east runway was scheduled to close for repairs. Expert opinions varied as to the cause of the ruts.[26] Airport authorities and airline representatives maintained that the airport was still safe and resisted suggestions that the airport should be completely closed and all flights moved back to Don Mueang.[30]

On 27 January 2007, the Department of Civil Aviation declined to renew the airport's safety certificate, which had expired the previous day. The ICAO requires that international airports hold aerodrome safety certificates, but Suvarnabhumi continued to operate because the ICAO requirement had yet to be adopted as part of Thai law.[31]

As of early 2016, tarmac problems persisted at Suvarnabhumi. Soft spots on the tarmac, taxiways, and apron area had not been permanently fixed. Aircraft were getting stuck on the soft surfaces that are the result of sub-standard materials. "The constant resurfacing of the tarmac, taxiways and apron area with asphalt is an unacceptable patchwork solution. We literally need a "concrete" solution," said Tony Tyler, IATA's director general and CEO.[32]

Plans to re-open Don Mueang for domestic flights

In January 2007, Thai Airways announced a plan to move some of its domestic operations back to Don Mueang International Airport due to overcrowding. Three days later, the Ministry of Transport recommended temporarily reopening Don Mueang while repair work on the runways at Suvarnabhumi proceeded. At that time, Thai Airways said it would shift most of its domestic flights back to Don Mueang while keeping flights with high international passenger connections such as Chiang Mai and Phuket at Suvarnabhumi. On 28 March 2009, Thai Airways discontinued all domestic flights from Don Mueang. Bangkok Airways and One-Two-GO had similar plans, but Bangkok Airways remained at Suvarnabhumi. Thai AirAsia said it would not move unless it could shift both its international and domestic operations, prompting them to stay at Suvarnabhumi for the time being. Nok Air and PBair were undecided, but Nok Air later relocated all flights to Don Mueang, where they operate today.[33][34] As of January 2010, only Nok Air and One-Two-GO operated domestic flights from Don Mueang Airport. PBair have ceased operations altogether. One-Two-GO was integrated into Orient Thai Airlines in July 2010, but continues to operate from Don Mueang Airport. As of 1 October 2012 Air Asia has moved all of its Bangkok operations to Don Mueang International Airport (DMK) from Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK).[35]

Thai Airbus A340-500 (HS-TLA) at Suvarnabhumi Airport.

Repair and upgrades

Airports of Thailand found that the cost of fixing 60 identified problems at the airport would be less than one percent of the total airline cost and the problems could be fixed in up to four to five years. Dr Narupol Chaiyut, a member of a committee overseeing service problems at the new airport, estimated that 70 percent of the problems would be fixed in 2007. Twenty of the 60 problems were successfully fixed by February 2007.[36]

Features

Suvarnabhumi Airport's main terminal roof is designed with structural elements and bays placed in a cantilevered, wavelike form to appear to "float" over the concourse beneath. This overall design principle was to express the former essence of the site, from which water had to be drained before construction could begin. The eight composite 2,710-ton trusses supporting the canopy of the main terminal are essentially diagrams of the bending moments acting on them, with the greatest depth at mid-span and over the supports.[37]

The result of Helmut Jahn's vision is a structure with performance materials serve in their total composition and in use more than in their conventional roles. This maximizes daylight use in comfort with substantial energy life-cycle cost savings. The installed cooling system reduced up to 50 percent compared to a conventional system. A translucent membrane with three layers was developed to mediate between the interior and exterior climate, dealing with noise and temperature transmission, while still allowing natural flow of daylight into building.[38]

Events

Airport traffic control tower (ATCT) at Suvarnabhumi Airport

On 25 January 2007, due to work upgrading the taxiways which suffered from small cracks, a few incoming flights were delayed and several flights were safely diverted to U-Tapao International Airport in Rayong Province.[39]

On 26 November 2008, an illegal occupation of the airport took place by People's Alliance for Democracy, closing the departure lounge and blocking exits and leaving almost 3,000 passengers stranded in the main terminal and another 350,000 stranded inside the country, as all flights were grounded. The People's Alliance for Democracy seized the control tower at 12:00.[40] On 2 December 2008, protesters agreed to leave the airport as they had been illegally protesting and permitted the resumption of flights. Security checks, clean-ups, and re-certification once the illegal occupation ended delayed the airport from being fully functional until 5 December 2008.[41]

Predatory irregularities

Petty thieves and confidence men, the majority of them illegal taxi drivers or tour guides, are known to prey on tourists in the arrival hall. They belong to politically-well connected criminal groups: Kamnan Samruay, Boonruang Srisang, Sak Pakphanang, the Pattaya Mafia and Phuyai Daeng.[42] Evicting them has proved difficult as they allegedly are well connected. (The head of the Pirap gang is supposedly related to an Airports of Thailand executive, while the Phuyai Daeng has ties to influential civil servants in Samut Prakan.[42])

On 1 October 2010, two hundred armed men occupied the airport's parking area for an hour, blocking the building's entrances and seizing ticket booths to collect fares from motorists.[43] Airport security personnel failed to respond, reportedly because of an internal dispute within the parking management company, the firm contracted to run the parking facilities.[43]

Specifications

Current Airport layout
Airport entrance

Costing an estimated 155 billion baht (US$5 billion), the airport has two parallel runways (60 m wide, 4,000 m and 3,700 m long) and two parallel taxiways to accommodate simultaneous departures and arrivals.[44] It has a total of 120 parking bays (51 with contact gates and 69 remote gates), with five of these capable of accommodating the Airbus A380. The main passenger terminal building, with a capacity of handling 76 flight operations per hour, co-locates the international and domestic terminals, though assigning them to different parts of the concourse. In the initial phase of construction, it was capable of handling 45 million passengers and three million tonnes of cargo per year. Above the underground rail link station and in front of the passenger terminal building is a 600-room hotel operated by Accor Group under the Novotel brand.

The airport's passenger terminal is the world's largest passenger terminal ever constructed in one phase at 563,000 square metres (6,060,000 sq ft), and is also currently the fourth biggest passenger terminal building in the world, after the Hong Kong International Airport (570,000 square metres or 6,100,000 square feet), Beijing Capital International Airport (990,000 square metres or 10,700,000 square feet), with the largest passenger terminal at Dubai International Airport (Terminal 3 is over 1,713,000 square metres or 18,440,000 square feet). The airport air-traffic control tower was the tallest in the world at 135 metres (443 ft) from 2006 to 2014.[9]

Suvarnabhumi Airport has 72 jet bridges and 69 non-jet bridges. Additionally, flights are able to park at remote locations on the ramp, from which airport buses transport passengers to and from the terminal. Suvarnabhumi Airport has 18 jet bridges and 6 non-jet bridges for Airbus 380–800.

From the opening of Suvarnabhumi in 2006 to early 2017, eight people had fallen to their deaths from upper-floor walkways, prompting the airport to spend 33 million baht in 2013 building glass barriers to stop people falling or taking their lives.[45]

Expansion

By mid-2015, the airport was handling more than 800 flights per day, higher than its 600-flight capacity. It has exceeded its capacity of 45 million passengers per year.[46]

Airports of Thailand (AOT) approved an investment budget for the expansion of Suvarnabhumi Airport and expected construction to begin in 2019 and finish in 2021 or early 2022.[47][48] The plan was to strengthen Suvarnabhumi Airport's position as a regional aviation hub. Phase Two would raise the airport's capacity to 65 million passengers a year and would be undertaken in parallel with the construction of a new domestic terminal.[49] The new domestic terminal will be intended to accommodate more than 30 million passengers annually.[48]

The two expansion projects are part of the overall airport enlargement that would see Suvarnabhumi raise its annual passenger handling capacity to 125 million passengers, 90 million international and 35 million domestic passengers by 2024 at an estimated cost of 163 billion baht (US$5.25 billion/€3.62 billion). The expansion includes the construction of one additional runway, subsequent enlargement of domestic and international terminals, and improvements to parking bays, car parks, and other airport infrastructure.[50]

An expansion plan to increase the passenger capacity of the airport to 65 million by building an additional satellite passenger terminal linked to the current main terminal via an underground automated people mover (APM) system was set to be voted on by the AOT board during a 17 May 2012 meeting. If the plan gains endorsement by the board it will be able to proceed to appointing a project management consultant (PMC) which will bring it one step closer to commencing construction on the much needed expansion. If all goes to plan the expansion is set to be completed in 2018. The expansion also includes a plan to expand the airport parking garage as well as the expansion of the eastern end of the main passenger terminal by 135 meters along with the construction of a new airline office building. The expansion does include plans to construct a third runway of 3,700 meters. According to the Bangkok Post, the new satellite terminal will have a total of 28 gates, with eight for the Airbus A380 super jumbo jet.[51]

The new passenger terminal will be used only by Bangkok Airways and flag carrier Thai Airways (and its budget subsidiary Thai Smile). Upon completion of the satellite terminal (expected opening in early 2019), other Star Alliance members will be given the check-in concourse of Thai Airways.[52]

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

AirlinesDestinations
Aeroflot Moscow–Sheremetyevo
Air Astana Almaty, Astana
Air Austral Saint–Denis de la Réunion
Air China Beijing–Capital, Chengdu, Hangzhou, Lianyungang,[53] Shanghai–Pudong, Tianjin
Air France Paris–Charles de Gaulle
Air India Bengaluru (begins 17 October 2018),[54][55] Delhi, Kolkata (begins 16 October 2018),[54][55] Mumbai
Air Italy Milan–Malpensa[56]
Air Macau Macau
All Nippon Airways Tokyo–Haneda, Tokyo–Narita
Arkia Tel Aviv–Ben Gurion[57]
Asia Atlantic Airlines Charter: Denpasar/Bali, Harbin, Sapporo–Chitose, Shenyang
Asiana Airlines Seoul–Incheon
Austrian Airlines Vienna
Azur Air Seasonal charter: Barnaul, Moscow–Domodedovo, Omsk, Rostov-on-Don, Surgut, Tyumen
Bangkok Airways Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Da Nang, Ko Samui, Krabi, Lampang, Luang Prabang, Malé, Mandalay, Mumbai, Naypyidaw, Phnom Penh, Phu Quoc, Phuket, Siem Reap, Singapore, Sukhothai, Trat, Vientiane, Yangon
Biman Bangladesh Airlines Dhaka
Bhutan Airlines Kolkata, Thimphu/Paro
Seasonal: Gaya[58]
British Airways London–Heathrow
Cathay Pacific Hong Kong, Singapore
Cebu Pacific Manila
China Airlines Kaohsiung, Taipei–Taoyuan
China Eastern Airlines Beijing–Capital, Chengdu, Chongqing, Fuzhou, Guangzhou,[59] Kunming, Lanzhou, Nanchang, Nanjing, Ningbo, Qingdao, Shanghai–Pudong, Wenzhou, Wuhan, Wuxi, Taiyuan, Xi'an, Xining, Yinchuan
Seasonal: Hangzhou, Hefei
China Southern Airlines Changsha, Guangzhou, Guilin, Guiyang, Jieyang, Lanzhou, Nanning, Shenyang, Shenzhen, Urumqi (begins 29 October 2018),[60] Wuhan, Zhangjiajie (begins 29 October 2018),[61] Zhengzhou
Druk Air Bagdogra, Gaya, Guwahati, Kolkata, Thimphu/Paro
Eastar Jet Jeju, Seoul–Incheon
EgyptAir Cairo, Hong Kong[62]
El Al Tel Aviv–Ben Gurion
Emirates Dubai–International, Hong Kong, Sydney
Ethiopian Airlines Addis Ababa, Hong Kong
Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi
Eurowings Seasonal: Cologne/Bonn (ends 27 October 2018),[63] Düsseldorf (begins 28 October 2018),[64] Munich[65]
EVA Air Amsterdam, London–Heathrow, Taipei–Taoyuan, Vienna
Finnair Helsinki
Garuda Indonesia Jakarta–Soekarno–Hatta
Gulf Air Bahrain
Hainan Airlines Beijing–Capital, Haikou, Nanning, Sanya
Hebei Airlines Guiyang (begins 28 October 2018),[66] Shijiazhuang
Hong Kong Airlines Hong Kong
IndiGo Bengaluru (begins 27 October 2018),[67] Chennai (begins 27 October 2018),[67] Kolkata
Japan Airlines Nagoya–Centrair, Osaka–Kansai, Tokyo–Haneda, Tokyo–Narita
JC International Airlines Phnom Penh
Jeju Air Busan, Seoul–Incheon
Seasonal: Cheongju,[68] Muan[69]
Jet Airways Delhi, Mumbai
Jet Asia Airways Tokyo–Narita, Jakarta–Soekarno–Hatta
Jetstar Airways Melbourne
Jetstar Asia Airways Singapore
Jetstar Pacific Airlines Ho Chi Minh City
Charter: Cam Ranh
Jin Air Busan, Seoul–Incheon
Seasonal: Jeju
Juneyao Airlines Shanghai–Pudong, Shenyang
KC International Airlines Phnom Penh[70]
Kenya Airways Guangzhou, Nairobi–Jomo Kenyatta
KLM Amsterdam
Korean Air Busan, Seoul–Incheon
Kunming Airlines Kunming (begins 28 October 2018)[71]
Kuwait Airways Kuwait City
Lanmei Airlines Phnom Penh
Lao Airlines Luang Prabang, Pakse, Savannakhet, Vientiane
Lucky Air Kunming, Zhengzhou (begins 30 October 2018)[72]
Lufthansa Frankfurt, Munich (resumes 2 June 2019)[73]
Mahan Air Tehran–Imam Khomeini
Malaysia Airlines Kuala Lumpur–International
Maldivian Chengdu, Hangzhou,[74] Malé
MIAT Mongolian Airlines Seasonal: Ulaanbaatar
Myanmar Airways International Mandalay, Yangon
Myanmar National Airlines Mandalay, Yangon
Nepal Airlines Kathmandu
Nordwind Airlines Moscow–Sheremetyevo
Seasonal charter: Arkhangelsk, Mineralnye Vody, St. Petersburg
Norwegian Air Shuttle Copenhagen, Oslo–Gardermoen, Stockholm–Arlanda
Okay Airways Tianjin, Xi'an
Oman Air Muscat
Pakistan International Airlines Karachi
Peach Naha
Pegas Fly Seasonal charter: Khabarovsk, Ulan-Ude, Yuzhno–Sakhalinsk
Philippine Airlines Cebu, Manila
Qantas Sydney
Qatar Airways Doha, Hanoi (ends 27 October 2018)[75]
Regent Airways Chittagong, Dhaka
Rossiya Airlines Seasonal charter: Moscow-Vnukovo
Royal Brunei Airlines Bandar Seri Begawan
Royal Flight Seasonal charter: Barnaul, Kazan, Kemerovo, Krasnoyarsk, Omsk, Vladivostok
Royal Jordanian Amman–Queen Alia, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur–International
S7 Airlines Irkutsk, Novosibirsk
Seasonal: Krasnoyarsk-Yemelyanovo (resumes 1 November 2018)
Scoot Singapore
Shandong Airlines Jinan, Kunming, Qingdao, Urumqi, Xiamen
Shenzhen Airlines Fuzhou, Jieyang, Nanjing, Quanzhou, Shenzhen, Wuxi, Xi'an, Yuncheng
Seasonal: Guangzhou
Sichuan Airlines Chengdu, Haikou, Sanya
Singapore Airlines Singapore
SpiceJet Amritsar (begins 6 November 2018),[76] Ahmedabad, Delhi, Hyderabad,[77] Kolkata
Spring Airlines Beihai, Changchun, Changzhou, Chengdu, Dalian, Fuzhou, Harbin, Hangzhou, Hohhot, Jinan, Lanzhou, Luoyang, Nanchang, Ningbo, Shanghai–Pudong, Shenyang, Shijiazhuang, Yangzhou, Yinchuan
SriLankan Airlines Colombo, Guangzhou
Swiss International Air Lines Zürich
Thai Airways Auckland, Bengaluru, Beijing–Capital, Brisbane, Brussels, Busan, Chengdu, Chennai, Chiang Mai, Colombo, Copenhagen, Delhi, Dhaka, Denpasar/Bali, Dubai–International, Frankfurt, Fukuoka, Guangzhou, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Hyderabad, Islamabad, Jakarta–Soekarno–Hatta, Karachi, Kathmandu, Kolkata, Krabi, Kunming, Kuala Lumpur–International, Lahore, London–Heathrow, Manila, Melbourne, Milan–Malpensa, Moscow–Domodedovo, Mumbai, Munich, Muscat, Nagoya–Centrair, Osaka–Kansai, Oslo–Gardermoen, Paris–Charles de Gaulle, Perth, Phnom Penh, Phuket, Rome–Fiumicino, Sapporo–Chitose, Seoul–Incheon, Shanghai–Pudong, Singapore, Stockholm–Arlanda, Sydney, Taipei–Taoyuan, Tokyo–Haneda, Tokyo–Narita, Vienna, Vientiane, Xiamen, Yangon, Zürich,
Hajj: Jeddah, Medina
Seasonal charter: Sendai
Thai Smile Changsha, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Chittagong, Chongqing, Hat Yai, Hong Kong (begins 28 October 2018),[78] Jaipur, Kaohsiung, Khon Kaen, Krabi, Kuala Lumpur–International, Luang Prabang, Lucknow, Mumbai, Narathiwat, Penang, Phnom Penh, Phuket, Siem Reap, Surat Thani, Ubon Ratchathani, Udon Thani, Vientiane, Yangon, Zhengzhou
Seasonal: Gaya, Varanasi
Thai Vietjet Air Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Da Lat, Da Nang (begins 15 October 2018),[79] Hai Phong, Phuket, Taichung (resume 3 November 2018)[80]
Seasonal: Gaya, Krabi
Charter: Can Tho, Hualien, Hue, Thanh Hoa
Turkish Airlines Istanbul–Atatürk
Turkmenistan Airlines Ashgabat
T'way Air Daegu, Seoul–Incheon
Ukraine International Airlines Kiev–Boryspil
Ural Airlines Beijing–Capital, Changchun, Harbin, Irkutsk,[81] Khabarovsk, Ordos[81]
Seasonal: Vladivostok
US-Bangla Airlines Dhaka
Uzbekistan Airways Tashkent
VietJet Air Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City
Vietnam Airlines Da Nang, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City
Charter: Gaya
XiamenAir Dalian, Fuzhou, Hangzhou,[82] Quanzhou, Xiamen

Cargo

AirlinesDestinations
ANA Cargo Osaka–Kansai, Singapore, Taipei–Taoyuan, Tokyo–Narita
Asiana Cargo Seoul–Incheon
Cardig Air Hong Kong, Jakarta–Soekarno–Hatta, Singapore
Cargolux Baku, Luxembourg, Shanghai–Pudong, Xiamen
Cathay Pacific Cargo Hong Kong, Penang, Singapore
China Airlines Cargo Abu Dhabi, Chengdu, Luxembourg, Taipei–Taoyuan
China Cargo Airlines Shanghai–Pudong
DHL Aviation Hong Kong, Leipzig/Halle,[83] Penang
EVA Air Cargo[84] Hanoi,[85] Jakarta–Soekarno–Hatta, Penang, Singapore, Taipei–Taoyuan
FedEx Express Guangzhou, Penang
K-Mile Air Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Jakarta–Soekarno–Hatta, Singapore
Korean Air Cargo Seoul–Incheon, Singapore, Chennai
Lufthansa Cargo Frankfurt, Mumbai, Sharjah
MASKargo Kuala Lumpur–International, Hong Kong[86]
Nippon Cargo Airlines Singapore, Tokyo–Narita
Singapore Airlines Cargo Shanghai–Pudong, Singapore
Turkish Airlines Cargo[87] Almaty, Delhi, Istanbul–Atatürk, Tashkent, Lahore, Islamabad
UPS Airlines Cologne/Bonn, Mumbai
Yangtze River Express Shanghai–Pudong

Traffic and statistics

Air France Airbus A340-313X takeoff from Suvarnabhumi Airport with an Emirates Boeing 777-300ER and a KLM Boeing 747-400 in the background.
EI-ETJ, a Kogalymavia Airbus A321 take off at Suvarnabhumi Airport, August 2014. This aircraft would be destroyed later in October 2015.
Garuda Indonesia Boeing 737-800 on landing from CGK
A Qatar Airways Boeing 777-300ER on approach to Suvarnabhumi Airport in 2012.
Thai Airways International Boeing 747-400 with Star Alliance livery at Suvarnabhumi Airport.
Thai Smile Airbus A320 parking at Gate A3, Suvarnabhumi Airport.

Busiest international routes

Top 30 Busiest international routes to and from Suvarnabhumi Airport (2017)[88]
RankAirportPassengers
handled 2017		% Change
2016/17
1Hong Kong Hong Kong3,971,531Increase 0.7
2Singapore Singapore3,128,667Increase 6.8
3South Korea Seoul–Incheon2,629,925Increase 14.9
4United Arab Emirates Dubai–International2,025,049Increase 17.0
5Taiwan Taipei–Taoyuan1,613,265Increase 25.3
6China Shanghai–Pudong1,417,765Increase 7.3
7China Guangzhou1,237,258Increase 14.6
8Japan Tokyo–Narita1,136,068Decrease 0.8
9Malaysia Kuala Lumpur-International1,106,757Increase 19.3
10Japan Tokyo–Haneda1,094,946Increase 3.7
11China Beijing–Capital1,087,251Increase 11.2
12Vietnam Ho Chi Minh City1,079,112Increase 6.8
13Qatar Doha1,015,238Decrease 3.1
14India Delhi976,066Increase 13.4
15Philippines Manila934,133Increase 18.6
16India Mumbai860,350Increase 12.6
17Vietnam Hanoi832,943Decrease 3.5
18United Kingdom London–Heathrow813,824Increase 8.8
19Myanmar Yangon794,713Decrease 2.5
20United Arab Emirates Abu Dhabi748,593Decrease 7.4
21Cambodia Phnom Penh713,132Increase 9.2
22Australia Sydney653,574Increase 6.7
23Germany Frankfurt646,203Increase 1.2
24Japan Osaka–Kansai599,067Increase 8.9
25South Korea Busan572,837Increase 6.4
26India Kolkata548,883Increase 2.0
27France Paris–Charles de Gaulle514,516Increase 3.4
28Australia Melbourne487,980Increase 6.5
29China Shenzhen447,704Increase 5.4
30Indonesia Jakarta–Soekarno–Hatta436,373Increase 5.6
Top 10 Busiest international routes to and from Suvarnabhumi Airport by Cargo (2017)[88]
RankAirportTons of cargo
handled 2017		% Change
2016/17
1Hong Kong Hong Kong180,238Increase 8.2
2Singapore Singapore87,636Increase 12.2
3Taiwan Taipei–Taoyuan79,495Increase 8.7
4Japan Tokyo–Narita74,979Increase 1.7
5South Korea Seoul–Incheon56,349Increase 3.0
6China Shanghai–Pudong54,967Increase 12.7
7Japan Tokyo–Haneda40,616Increase 25.9
8Qatar Doha33,872Increase 29.4
9United Arab Emirates Dubai–International32,840Decrease 5.6
10Japan Osaka-Kansai26,780Increase 8.9

Traffic by calendar year

Suvarnabhumi accounted for the largest share of air traffic at Thailand's airports in 2015, handling 52.9 million passengers, up by nearly 14 percent from the previous year despite its passenger capacity of only 45 million a year. International passengers passing through Suvarnabhumi grew 15.9 percent to 44.2 million, while domestic volume edged up 4.87 percent to 8.68 million. Aircraft movements showed a 9.5 percent increase to 317,066, consisting of 247,584 international (up 11 percent) and 69,482 domestic (up 4.4 percent).[89]

PassengersChange from previous yearMovementsCargo
(tons)		Notes
2008 38,603,490––1,173,084
2009 40,500,224Increase4.9%–1,045,194
2010 42,784,967Increase5.6%–1,310,146
2011 47,910,744Increase12.0%299,566–
2012 53,002,328Increase10.6%312,493–Source: Airports Council International[90]
In 2012, the government enjoined all low-cost airlines to move their hubs to DMK in October.
2013 51,363,451Decrease11.9%288,0041,236,223
2014 46,423,352Decrease9.6%289,5681,234,176
2015 52,902,110Increase14.0%317,0661,230,563
2016 55,892,428Increase5.7%336,3451,351,878
2017 60,860,704Increase8.9%350,5081,439,913
Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport Passenger Totals (millions)

Ground transportation

Departure drop off curb
Taxis stand is located outside the arrival hall on the same level

The 30 billion baht Suvarnabhumi Airport Link was opened on 23 August 2010,[91] after multiple delays. The Airport Rail Link (ARL) is operated by SRTET, a subsidiary company of the State Railway of Thailand. The standard gauge line is 28.6 kilometres (17.8 mi) long and is elevated for most of its length, running mostly above existing regional railway lines and parallel to Motorway 7 and Si Rat Expressway. There is a short at-grade/underground segment as the line approaches the passenger terminal building of Suvarnabhumi Airport.

The ARL hours of service are 06:00 to 24:00.[92] The ARL has two interchange stations, namely Phaya Thai (changing for BTS Green Line services) and Makkasan (linking Phetchaburi station of the MRT Blue Line). In the future, the ARL will complement the SRT Red Line commuter service, which comprises two-meter gauge, dual-track lines. The ARL may also be extended from Phaya Thai to Don Mueang via Bang Sue, given that the old Don Mueang International Airport has now been reopened for civil aviation under a dual-airport policy.

Regional train

Meanwhile, SRT provides a suburban commuter train service between Lad Krabang (the nearest station to Suvarnabhumi on the East line, one station from the airport by Airport Rail Link) and the northern suburban city of Rangsit via downtown Bangkok and the old Don Mueang Airport. The train also connects with BTS and MRT at Phaya Thai and Phetchaburi stations respectively. A shuttle bus service linking the airport with Hua Takhe railway station is provided by BMTA. The train service is currently not as popular as the bus service because it requires a shuttle bus connection. The service will be stopped when the Airport Express Link is completed.

Bus

A free bus service connecting Suvarnabhumi Airport and Don Mueang Airport operates from 05.00 until midnight. Three air-conditioned city bus routes are operated by Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) serve the airport's dedicated bus terminal. There are also direct buses between the airports operated by Airport Shuttle Bus.

Car

The airport has five main access routes. Among these the most convenient route is via the Bangkok Chon Buri Motorway (Motorway 7). Another main airport entrance is in Samut Prakan Province via the expressway from Bang Na to Bang Pakong.

The airport has provided five entrance routes. The main route is via the motorway in the north of Bangkok, directly connecting Bangkok's downtown and Chonburi Province, the industrial and harbor city in eastern Thailand. However, another main airport entrance is in Samut Prakan Province, connecting an elevated highway in the south of Bangkok from Bang Na to Bang Pakong.

Sky Lane

Sky Lane at Suvarnabhumi Airport

In December 2015, Airports of Thailand introduced Sky Lane (Thai: สกายเลน), the cycling track around Suvarnabhumi airport perimeter. The cyclists can bring their bicycles and bike here for free. The entrance to Sky Lane is located in the northeastern corner of the airport area. The Sky Lane is controlled-access one-direction two-lane track built only for cycling, the riders can be ensured that they won't be bothered by any vehicle. The Sky Lane length is 23.5 km, made it the longest in Asia.[93] Sky Lane’s facilities specially designed for cyclists include medical, shop, food & beverage, track, parking lot, rest area. The entrance gate is open from 06:00 to 18:00.[94]

References

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