Star Alliance of airlines has thrown its support behind Bangkok's new but problem-plagued Suvarnabhumi Airport as remaining the hub of operations for its nine member airlines, the alliance said Friday.
"We fully endorse the policy of our home carrier and founding member, Thai Airways International, to retain its hub operations at Suvarnabhumi Airport," Jaan Albrecht, Star Alliance chief executive officer, said in a press statement made available Friday.
"By moving together under one roof at the new Suvarnabhumi Airport, Star Alliance carriers have signalled their joint intention to offer fast and comfortable connections and services in safe, modern and passenger-pleasing facilities," Albrecht added.
Official Thai News Agency said that Transport Minister Thira Haocharoen has proposed shifting all "non-connecting" domestic flights to Don Muang during Suvarnabhumi repairs.
He said authorities would leave it up to each airline to decide whether to move their base to Don Muang or to stay at Suvarnabhumi.
The Star Alliance consists of Japan's All Nippon Airways, Austrian Airlines, South Korea's Asiana Airlines, Germany's Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Swiss International Air Lines, Thai Airways International and US-based United Airlines. Those air carriers operate about 1,000 flights per week out of Bangkok, representing 47.2 per cent of its international seats.
The alliance's strong support for Suvarnabhumi as Bangkok's main international airport comes at a time of great confusion within the aviation industry about the Thai government's approval for reopening Don Muang Airport, which served the capital for 92 years.
Don Muang was closed to commercial air traffic on September 28 when the 3.9-billion-dollar Suvarnabhumi was launched.
A host of infrastructural problems at Suvarnabhumi, including 100 cracks found in the taxiways and one runway four months after it opened, prompted the government to give the go-ahead to reopen Don Muang should the new airport be forced to close for major repairs.
An investigation into Suvarnabhumni's cracks, however, revealed Monday that the fissures and ruts were not serious and posed no safety threat to the tarmac.
The government has yet to announce whether it would go ahead with the reopening of Don Muang or keep the old facility, situated on land owned by the Air Force, idle.
The Star Alliance has followed a "move under one roof" strategy worldwide for its member airlines.
Last year, the first dedicated Star Alliance Terminal in Asia was opened at Tokyo's Narita Airport and the alliance has similar terminal projects in Beijing, London's Heathrow, Los Angeles, Madrid, Miami, Paris' Charles de Gaulle, Shanghai and Singapore.
Adm Thira, meanwhile, met with airline representatives, TNA reported. After the meeting, he claimed there was a positive response to the government plan to operate two airports for Bangkok, but admitted many carriers would like to see Don Muang as the domestic hub for non-connecting domestic flights only.
The ministry would propose to the main committee that Don Muang be reopened permanently and that Bangkok’s two airports should serve both domestic and international flights with Suvarnabhumi as the main hub.
The main committee overseeing Suvarnabhumi Ariport is chaired by Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont and is due to meet later on Friday to finalise the plan to operate two airports for Bangkok.
Source : Bangkok Post
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