The New Suvarnabhumi Airport. Thailand.

SUVARNABHUMI Airport is new airport in Thailand. (the name mean “The golden Land”) Currently the world’s largest single terminal (570,000 square meters) and Tallest ATC tower and longest project duration (47 years). Due to open on 28 sep 2006. The first commercial flight will make an debut tomorrow by THAI and Jetstar Airway.

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Thailand is in the final stages of building a new international airport which, when completed, will have the largest single terminal in the world, a title among the largest aiports in the world, and a title among one of the most technologically advanced airports to be created. The Thai government is counting on the facility to make the kingdom the aviation hub of the region.

Bangkok’s new airport, due to be completed September, is called Suvarnabhumi, which means “golden land. The new airport, which was first planned decades ago, lies on 35 square kilometers of land east of the Thai capital and has cost the government a wopping 5-6 billion dollars to build.

It will replace Bangkok’s 60 year-old Don Muang airport, located a few kilometers from downtown, which was originally a military airport with one runway. Don Muang has been expanded to the point that it handled 38-million passengers last year, (Currently one of the oldest and busiest airports in the world). But the construction chief of the new airport, John Murray, says over the sound of building machinery that the old airport has no room left to grow.

That airport has reached its capacity because the runways are too close together and the airport can’t operate them simultaneously,” explained Mr. Murray.

When the new airport opens next year, its two runways, four kilometers long and two kilometers apart, will allow simultaneous take-offs and landings every 45 seconds.

The seven-story terminal, one of the largest in the world, will cover the equivalent of one hundred football fields and will be able to handle 45 million passengers a year during the 1st stage, or 9,000 per hour, through its 360 check-in counters. It will be able to berth simultaneously 120 airplanes, including five of the world’s largest passenger plane, the new double-decker Airbus 380. When the final phase is complete, the airport with be able to accomodate 100+ million passengers.
The airport will also boast the world’s tallest airport control tower, 132 meters or 44 stories high. Its catering facilities will be able to prepare 65,000 passenger meals a day. And for transiting passengers, it will house scores of restaurants and snack bars, a 600-room hotel and a shopping mall of duty free stores.