BANGKOK, Nov 30 (TNA) – The Central Administrative Court has rejected a petition lodged by people around Suvarnabhumi international airport to prohibit night-time flights which they claimed generated noise pollution in the neighborhood.

The Central Administrative Court turned down the petition lodged by 359 residents who desperately cited noise pollution caused by landings and take-offs of airliners. They were calling for the termination of 166 flights,
mostly international, scheduled between 10 pm and 5 am daily.

However, the court ruled the international flights at Suvarnabhumi airport could not be called off at the expense of passenger inconveniences and Thailand’s credibility in the eyes of foreigners visiting the country daily.

International flights were scheduled six months in advance by a world aviation body in Canada in order to accommodate bookings and flight plans.

It was instead suggested Suvarnabhumi residents call on the Airports of Thailand (AoT) or other authorities, to pay compensation for any damage caused by the airliners traffic. The airline companies might possibly share the cost of compensation for those affected by noise pollution. (TNA)-E008

Despite calls for more flights to use the old airport, Transport Minister Theera Haocharoen and his deputy are reluctant to use Don Mueang and have advised the Airports of Thailand (AoT) to make better use of Suvarnabhumi.

The AoT board on Saturday decided to use Don Mueang for both local and international flights so the AoT would not be faced with the immediate and costly expansion of the congested Suvarnabhumi.

Adm Theera said the plan needed careful consideration, and should take into account the national interests and the promotion of Suvarnabhumi airport as a regional transport hub.

The minister believes good management alone can increase the capacity of Suvarnabhumi from 45 million to 50 million passengers annually.

Deputy Minister Sansern Wongcha-um said the AoT needed to review its plans and look at the views of airlines, technical aviation limitations and make a clear expansion plan for Suvarnabhumi.

According to Mr Sansern, airlines would be inconvenienced if their connecting flights are returned to Don Mueang, and that could affect the goal of Suvarnabhumi airport becoming a regional air transport hub.

Mr Sansern wants the AoT to clearly state how Suvarnabhumi will function in the next five years so airlines will know if they must return to Suvarnabhumi airport from Don Mueang.

He warned the AoT that it was not easy to run two airports in the capital. Technical limitations would stop Don Mueang reaching its former annual capacity of 33 million passengers, he said.

Charnnarong Chuacharoen, the business director of Aeronautical Radio of Thailand Co, said air traffic controllers would have to be more cautious if both Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang were to operate simultaneously.

They are close to each other and their runway alignments converge, he said.

At present, Don Mueang is used mainly in the daytime, while Suvarnabhumi is used more at night. There are not many flights taking off or landing at the same time from both airports, so there is not too much pressure on air traffic control, he said.

If both airports operate together, Don Mueang will not reach its full capacity because Bangkok’s air traffic will be congested and flights will have to wait longer in queues, said Mr Charnnarong.

No study has been done on the appropriate amount of traffic for Don Mueang, and that will affect Bangkok’s overall air transport services and traffic control, he said.

The AoT board also decided on Saturday to expand Phuket International airport, which has seen an increase in traffic, especially chartered flights, in the past two years. The airport now handles 5.4 million passengers annually.

The People Power party have demonstrated remarkable lateral problem-solving abilities with their advert in the Bangkok Post. They are trumpeting a Cheap Housing project on the outskirts of Bangkok near a train station whose line connects to the heart of Bangkok.

I am both surprised and delighted to hear that the rail link to Suvarnabhumi will be completed soon after the election and that a settlement agreeable to all parties will be reached with the residents, allowing the new tenants access to the unwanted property under the flight path.

This is truly an innovative solution, with the potential to diffuse accelerating populist costs.

Matchimathipataya party leader Prachai Leophairatana on Saturday went to meet residents of Onnuj Road area in eastern Bangkok, promising them that in the event he becomes prime minister, he will scrap a planned expressway that will be built in the area.

Mr Prachai received a warm welcome, as residents there are concerned about that the M1 expressway, which connects with the Suvarnabhumi airport, will be built in the area.

He ensured them that the project will be scrapped if he wins the premiership.

He is scheduled to meet residents of nearby Bang Na district later this evening.

Airports of Thailand Plc (AoT) saw its net profit for the financial year to Sept 30 nosedive 90% year-on-year to 1.09 billion baht, the lowest in five years, due mainly to the negative effects of Suvarnabhumi Airport.

The 70% state-owned airport monopoly blamed the poor performance on a huge increase in depreciation costs, a jump in interest payments, and unrecognised concession fees from the duty-free operator King Power.

”These three items, costing AoT more than 11 billion baht together, are largely key contributors (to the fall in profit),” AoT senior executive vice-president Kulya Pakakrong said yesterday.

Depreciation and amortisation in the period from October 2006 to September 2007 shot up 454.23% to 6.35 billion baht, as expenses related to Suvarnabhumi started to appear on the balance sheets.

Bangkok’s new international airport opened on Sept 28, 2006, at the very end of AoT’s last financial year.

An interest expense of 2.39 billion baht was paid in the past year for loans borrowed for the construction of the airport and the Suvarnabhumi Airport Hotel. Such items were recognised as assets during the construction period and are now regarded as expenditures. Lack of recognition of revenues from King Power caused AoT’s concession revenue to drop 50.97% to 2.09 billion baht.

The revenues, amounting to about three billion baht a year, are the subject of continuing litigation between AoT and the duty-free and commercial space operator for breach of contract.

AoT said its operating revenues in the year rose 20.08% to 19.5 billion baht, boosted by a 28.37% rise in aeronautical revenues to 2.9 billion baht. The increase resulted partly from air traffic growth and from the increase in passenger service fees (airport taxes), landing and parking charges during the year.

But operating expenses rose 91% to 17.99 billion baht, mainly due to the commercial operational start-up of Suvarnabhumi, including 454 million baht for repairs and maintenance of the new airport.

The stronger baht also reduced AoT’s foreign-exchange gain in the year to 2.8 billion baht from 4.19 billion a year earlier.

Mrs Kulya said that the results should not come as a shock as they were expected by institutional investors and analysts who were aware of the difficulties at the 155-billion-baht airport.

AOT shares closed yesterday on the Stock Exchange of Thailand at 57 baht, down 50 satang, in trade worth 62.15 million baht.

The Supreme Administrative Court refused a demand by Suvarnabhumi airport residents to ground all flights at night to give them a respite from the noise.

The court sympathised but said it has no authority to suspend the night flights, as such a decision would pose major problems to global airlines and will cause economic damage.

The decision followed the demand by 359 residents who wanted domestic and international flights at Suvarnabhumi airport grounded from 10pm to 5am so they can get a proper night’s sleep.