Bangkok airport runway gears up for November opening

Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport is gearing up for a major boost, with a brand-new runway set to open on November 1. The shiny new runway is expected to revolutionise the airport’s flight capacity, helping it soar to new heights.

Kirati Kijmanawat, the Director of Airports of Thailand (AOT), confirmed the exciting news, stating that the third runway is now complete.

“We’ve conducted successful tests on landings and take-offs.”

Kirati added that the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) and Aeronautical Radio of Thailand have given the green light.

Located to the west of the airport, this impressive runway is 60 metres wide and stretches 4,000 metres long, running parallel to the first runway. Once the final field lighting is installed and systems are fine-tuned, the airport will be able to handle up to 94 flights per hour—up from the current 68 flights.

However, it won’t be an immediate leap to full capacity. The airport plans to gradually increase operations, hitting 75 flights per hour next year, 85 flights in 2026, and a target of 94 flights in 2027. This increase in flights is set to significantly boost the airport’s revenue, with projections climbing to a whopping 9.09 billion baht by 2027.

But that’s not all—Suvarnabhumi has even bigger plans on the horizon. The AOT is preparing to design a fourth runway on the eastern side of the airport, with construction expected to begin in 2027. Meanwhile, bids for a massive new South Terminal, expected to handle 70 million passengers annually, are set to be launched alongside the runway project, reported The Nation.

ORIGINAL STORY: Suvarnabhumi Airport gears up for third runway trials

Suvarnabhumi International Airport is pulling out all the stops to ensure its much-anticipated third runway is ready for prime time later this year. With support from the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF), the Bangkok airport conducted extensive trial operations to guarantee the runway’s readiness to handle a significant increase in air traffic.

To test every aspect of the new runway, top brass from Airports of Thailand Public Company Limited (AOT) took part in a full-scale trial.

The operation was led by Police General Visanu Prasatthong-osoth, AOT Chairman, and involved other key figures such as ACM Manat Wongwat, AOT Board Member, and Kittipong Kittikachorn, General Manager of Suvarnabhumi Airport. They flew in on the RTAF’s A320 aircraft, departing from Don Mueang Airport and landing on the new third runway at Suvarnabhumi.

Kittipong explained that the trial was conducted in two phases. The first phase, scheduled at 8am, involved a landing on the third runway, followed by taxiing and parking tests.

The second phase, at 6.30pm, saw the aircraft take off from the same runway after extensive checks on taxiways, lighting, and aircraft tracking systems. The goal was to ensure all systems met aviation safety standards and that environmental impacts were thoroughly assessed.

This wasn’t Suvarnabhumi’s first rodeo. A previous trial on August 14, using a RTAF ATR-72, was a success, setting the stage for these more comprehensive tests. The airport also collaborated closely with Aeronautical Radio of Thailand, Thai Airways, and other key stakeholders to ensure the trials went off without a hitch.

Once the third runway, stretching 4,000 metres, becomes fully operational, Suvarnabhumi Airport’s capacity will soar, handling up to 94 flights per hour, positioning it as a competitive player on the global stage. With these trials under its belt, Suvarnabhumi is on track to bolster Thailand’s standing as a major aviation hub, in line with the government’s vision for long-term economic growth, reported Kaohoon International.