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