Air Asia confirms Don Mueang move - 1

AirAsia confirms Don Mueang move - 1

I said it a few years back. Bangkok needs two International Airports !

The longest routes out of Don Muaeng will probably be to Japan and Hong Kong.

Will there be longer routes to Europe ?

I think the Yingluck government will be more progressive.

This is what I wrote a few years back:-

Saturday , August 8 , 2009

Common sense at last ! : The Japanese propose to redevelop Don Mueang Airport - Should this include a Tax Free Zone ?

In February 2007 I wrote a blog on this newspaper advocating the re-opening and development of Don Mueang Airport. Now the Japanese have made a proposal to do just that; I raise a glass of Sake rice wine to the Japanese ! Why stop there ? Make Don Mueang a Tax Free Zone. Including the immediate area around the airport. A tax free area, would be a Real Economic Stimulus Package, not confetti being thrown about, good money chasing bad money.  Forget about Quantitative Easing, this is tangeable. News report:- The government has accepted an offer to join forces with the Japan Aviation Academy (JAA) in developing Don Mueang airport as a regional aviation hub, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said on Friday. He said JAA chief executive officer Shigeo Umezawa visited him at Government House today and proposed the government come up with investment projects to redevelop the old airport. Mr Umezawa said that as Bangkok is already a transport centre for many countries in the Asian region it was only fitting that avation-related businesses should be set up at Don Mueang. Mr Abhisit said he knew many Japanese businesses were now based in Thailand and had therefore decided to  visit Japan soon after taking office to tighten ties between the two countries. ''It will be useful if the JAA can help Thailand develop human resources in the aviation sector. ''The Ministry of Transport has mapped out projects to develop Don Mueang airport, but one major problem is the lack of human resources in the aviation area,” Mr Abhisit said. He had requested the JAA to consider offering more scholarships to Thai students. Source : various I like this :- ''It will be useful if the JAA can help Thailand develop human resources in the aviation sector." and especially:- "He had requested the JAA to consider offering more scholarships to Thai students." Well done Khun Abhisit ! Now that really is a compliment, coming from me. My original post:- Don Muang: Bangkok needs a Twin Airport policy On February 5 2007 Bangkok is ideally suited to being THE aviation hub of Asia due to its geographical position. Don Muang needs to be re-opened. Firstly, it would create an affordable location for the low cost budget airlines. Secondly, it would provide another useful cargo airport. Thirdly, it would allow expansion and be the destination for new long-haul carriers. Fourthly, it would take some of the traffic away from Suvanabhumi to give the authorities time to repair the taxiways and other problems caused by opening an airport before it was ready. Many major cities around the World have two or more airports. London has five, Heathrow, Gatwick,Stansted,Luton and London City. Berlin has two major ones plus Tempelhof, Paris has three -Charles de Gaulle, Orly and Le Bourget. Milan has two, Rome has two, Leonardo da Vinci - Fiumicino & Ciampino. Tokyo has two. Discounting U-Tapao, the sooner Don Muang is reopened the better? Better for business, better for Thailand. January 30th's news is a step in the right direction:- Don Muang to be resurrected  - http://www.nationmultimedia.com/search/page.news.php?clid=2&id=30025475 The cracking taxiways at Suvarnabhumi could be a major problem. If the taxiways are cracking due to the airport subsiding into what was a swamp. It could be a major civil engineering problem and very difficult to solve ? http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/01/29/thailand.bangkokairport.ap/index.html Flights to:- Japan China Viet Nam Cambodia Laos Singapore Malaysia Indonesia A truly Asian experience.