User:Gorragrod/sandbox

Airports of Thailand

Airports of Thailand Public Company Limited (AOT) (Thai: บริษัท ท่าอากาศยานไทย จำกัด (มหาชน)) is a Thai public company. It manages Thailand's six international airports and will add four more airports in 2019. In 2018, it became the most-valuable airport operator in the world.

Thailand's 28 regional airports are managed by the Department of Airports, a separate agency.

AOT was established on 20 September 2002, as a result of the privatisation of the state-owned Airports Authority of Thailand (AAT). At that time, the company was worth 14,285,700,000 baht. The Thai government held, and still holds, 70 percent of the company's stock. During fiscal year 2014 AOT's average daily market capitalization was 282,321 million baht.

AOT's fiscal year (FY) runs from 1 October–30 September, thus AOT's FY2018 was from 1 October 2017 – 30 September 2018.

Thai aviation began in 1911. Belgian pilot Van den Born (Van den Born) brought the Orville Wright aircraft to the show between February 2 and 8, 1911. Pathumwan performed for the first time in Thailand at the Royal Bangkok Athletics Club. And after that, Thailand advanced in the aviation field, sending military officers to study aviation in France in 1911 and ordering Thailand's first aircraft in 1913. The Department of Civil Air transport is in charge of the first stage of aviation affairs. Airport of Sa Pathum However, because of the later Sa Pathum Airport is congested. unsuitable location As a result, a new airport area was chosen. which eventually chose the area "Don Mueang" and thus Don Mueang Airport.And because the Airport Authority of Thailand Act 1979 was passed by the National Assembly on July 1, 1979, it is considered the founding day of AOT. AOT has been working under this Act by establishing an airport called Airport Authority of Thailand or AOT and using the English name Airports Authority of Thailand, abbreviated as AAT, with staff. Since then, it has begun operations at Bangkok International Airport. AOT has expanded to four more international regions by shifting its management approach to a commercial one, namely Chiang Mai, Hat Yai, Phuket, and Chiang Rai. The airport's buildings and facilities have been renovated to make them more efficient and responsive to travelers' needs. That results in success and rapid progress. As a result, a significant change occurred, namely the decision to become a public company. On September 30, 2002, it was registered as a juristic person under the name Airports of Thailand Public Company Limited (AOT), and it is still known by the abbreviation AOT. Airport of Thailand Public Company Limited is the full name in English.

History

The airport is currently the main hub for Thai Airways International, Thai Smile and Bangkok Airways, as well as the operating base for Thai Vietjet Air, Thai AirAsia and Thai AirAsia X. It also serves as regional gateway and connecting point for various foreign carriers connecting to Asia, Oceania, Europe and Africa.

Suvarnabhumi was officially opened for limited domestic flight service on 15 September 2006, and opened for most domestic and all international commercial flights on 28 September 2006.

The airport is on what had formerly been known as Nong Nguhao (Cobra Swamp) in Racha Thewa in Bang Phli, Samut Prakan province as well as the districts of Bang Kapi, Lat Krabang, Bang Na and Prawet in the eastern side of Bangkok, about 25 kilometres (16 mi) from downtown. The terminal building was designed by Helmut Jahn of Murphy/Jahn Architects. It was constructed primarily by ITO JV. The airport had the world's tallest free-standing control tower (132.2 metres or 434 feet) from 2006 to 2014, and the world's fourth largest single-building airport terminal (563,000 square metres or 6,060,000 square feet).

Suvarnabhumi is the 17th busiest airport in the world, eleventh busiest airport in Asia, and the busiest in the country, having handled 60 million passengers in 2017, and is also a major air cargo hub, with a total of 95 airlines. On social networks, Suvarnabhumi was the world's most popular site for taking Instagram photographs in 2012.

The airport inherited the airport code, BKK, from Don Mueang after the previous airport ceased international commercial flights. Motorway 7 connects the airport, Bangkok, and the heavily industrial eastern seaboard of Thailand, where most export manufacturing takes place.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the airport was temporarily converted to a hospital and vaccination centre.

Airlines and destinations

Ground transportation links

Airport Rail Link (ARL)

The 30 billion baht Suvarnabhumi Airport Link was opened on 23 August 2010, after multiple delays. The Airport Rail Link (ARL) is operated by SRTET, a subsidiary company of the State Railway of Thailand. The standard gauge line is 28.6 kilometres (17.8 mi) long and is elevated for most of its length, running mostly above existing regional railway lines and parallel to Motorway 7 and Si Rat Expressway. There is a short at-grade/underground segment as the line approaches the passenger terminal building of Suvarnabhumi Airport.

The ARL Station is located on the Underground floor of Suvarnabhumi Airport which also links to the Airports' Novotel Hotel adjacent to the Main Terminal.

The ARL hours of service are 06:00 to 00:00. The ARL has two interchange stations, namely Phaya Thai (changing for BTS Green Line services) and Makkasan (linking Phetchaburi station of the MRT Blue Line). In the future, the ARL will complement the SRT Red Line commuter service, which comprises two-meter gauge, dual-track lines. The ARL may also be extended from Phaya Thai to Don Mueang via Bang Sue Grand Station, given that the old Don Mueang International Airport has now been reopened for civil aviation under a dual-airport policy.

Regional train

Meanwhile, SRT provides a suburban commuter train service between Lad Krabang (the nearest station to Suvarnabhumi on the East line, one station from the airport by Airport Rail Link) and the northern suburban city of Rangsit via downtown Bangkok and the old Don Mueang Airport. The train also connects with BTS and MRT at Phaya Thai and Phetchaburi stations respectively. A shuttle bus service linking the airport with Hua Takhe railway station is provided by BMTA. The train service is currently not as popular as the bus service because it requires a shuttle bus connection. The service will be stopped when the Airport Express Link is completed.

Bus

Northeast of the Airport is Suvarnabhumi Public Transport Center, which is the Airport's Main Bus Terminal.

A free bus service connecting Suvarnabhumi Airport and Don Mueang Airport operates from 05.00 until midnight. Three air-conditioned city bus routes are operated by Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) serve the airport's dedicated bus terminal. There are also direct buses between the airports operated by Airport Shuttle Bus.

Taxi

Located on Level 1 (Ground Level) are where the Public Taxis are located. A ticket printed from the ticket queue machine (located on the same floor) is required before queuing up for a taxi.

Car

The airport has five main access routes. Among these the most convenient route is via the Bangkok Chon Buri Motorway (Motorway 7). Another main airport entrance is in Samut Prakan Province via the expressway from Bang Na to Bang Pakong.

The Airport has 7 different car park zones, with zone 2 & 3 having direct access to the departure/arrival terminal. Located northeast of the airport is the Longterm Car Park Zone, next to the Bus Terminal.

The airport has provided five entrance routes. The main route is via the motorway in the north of Bangkok, directly connecting Bangkok's downtown and Chonburi Province, the industrial and harbor city in eastern Thailand. However, another main airport entrance is in Samut Prakan Province, connecting an elevated highway in the south of Bangkok from Bang Na to Bang Pakong.