| The Thai government is moving some domestic | | | | problems. The government had already planned |
| flights back to Bangkok's old Don Muang | | | | to spend a million dollars to make up for an |
| Airport, to allow cracks in the taxiways at | | | | inadequate number of toilets. |
| the four-month-old, $4 billion Suvarnabhumi | | | | |
| Airport to be repaired. Ron Corben reports | | | | Albert Tjoeng, spokesman for the |
| from Bangkok. | | | | Singapore-based International Air Transport |
| | | | Association, says the necessity to reopen Don |
| The Thai Cabinet agreed Tuesday to the | | | | Muang is a setback to Thailand's hopes. |
| transfer of some domestic flights back to Don | | | | |
| Muang Airport. The Transport Ministry had | | | | "To groom Bangkok as an aviation hub the long |
| proposed the move so as to relieve pressure | | | | term, vision should be to have all commercial |
| on newly opened Suvarnabhumi Airport and | | | | flights operating out of one airport," |
| allow repairs to be made there. | | | | Tjoeng said. "Two airports will dampen |
| | | | Bangkok's potential for becoming an aviation |
| Ground subsidence and cracking along the | | | | hub in the region." |
| taxiways have led to 11 air gates at the new | | | | |
| airport being closed. The resulting backup | | | | The Cabinet has recommended the reopening of |
| has led to several flights being delayed, or | | | | 90-year-old Don Muang Airport only as a |
| diverted to the old Thai air force base at | | | | temporary measure. But officials estimate |
| Utapao, 150 kilometers to the southeast. | | | | that repairs at the new airport will take up |
| | | | to 18 months to complete, and will cost as |
| The new airport was officially opened last | | | | much as $1.5 billion. |
| September, just a week after a military coup | | | | |
| ousted then-Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra | | | | The transfer to the old airport by domestic |
| from office. | | | | carriers is expected to take up to 60 days. |
| | | | |
| The Thaksin government had high hopes for | | | | Thailand's Department of Civil Aviation, |
| Suvarnabhumi. Mr. Thaksin was hoping to | | | | meanwhile, has decided not to renew |
| portray it as a government success story as | | | | Suvarnabhumi's international safety |
| general elections were held at the end of | | | | certificate until repairs have been |
| 2006. Officials were predicting it would | | | | completed. The airport is able to operate |
| help turn Thailand into a major regional | | | | legally without the certificate. |
| aviation center. | | | | |
| | | | On top of everything else, Suvarnabhumi |
| But the elections were delayed by the coup, | | | | figures prominently into an investigation by |
| and the airport has been plagued by problems | | | | the military-installed interim government |
| from the start, including poor lighting, | | | | into possible corruption during Mr. Thaksin's |
| difficult-to-read signs, and security | | | | tenure. |