Thai Air Asia demands dedicated terminal
Thai Orient Airlines has objected to Thai Air Asia’s (TAA) demand for a dedicated terminal as a condition to its relocation from Suvarnabhumi to Don Mueang Airport.
The low cost giant has requested dedicated use of Terminal 1 at the old airport, as it negotiates a move with Airports of Thailand (AoT), which is under pressure from the government to relieve congestion at Suvarnabhumi. T1 however, is the only functional passenger terminal at Don Mueang, which has two other terminals not currently in operation.
Orient Thai has questioned whether this is an appropriate move on the part of AoT, given that TAA passenger volume will not meet terminal capacity, even in the medium term. TAA expects to carry eight million passengers through 2012, up from 7.2 million passengers last year, but a long way short of T1’s 14.5 million capacity
“T1 should be open for common use by other airlines as well. If TAA needs more capacity in the future, why not give it to them then?” said Orient Thai founder Udom Tantiprasongchai.
If TAA succeeds in its negotiation with AoT, Nok Air and the 10 or so other airlines AoT is courting to switch to Don Mueang would have to use Terminal 2, which adjoins T1 but has yet to be renovated following the floods, reports the Bangkok Post. Renovation of T2 will take time and money, initially estimated at THB50 million (US$1.5 million), and it would not be ready soon enough to accommodate all the airlines AoT is hoping to move in August.