Don Mueang airport is celebrating its centenary. One of the world’s oldest airports, this milestone has not been achieved without its share of troubles – and plenty of water.
In July 1981, Don Mueang was a busy gateway before Suvarnabhumi took over as Thailand’s main international airport in 2006. Today, Don Mueang is celebrating its centenary as one of the world’s oldest airports.
For a long time, the airport was iconic as Thailand’s aviation gateway. With the country’s geographical advantage, it had been the world’s major port of call for the giant airlines and in its early days, it was even fashionable to step into the terminal building of the airport to send off family members and friends.
For many workers, the airport is like one vast office, and it has given them career security and put food on the table. For travellers, it was the starting point of countless journeys connecting the global village.
Don Mueang airport general manager Chaturongkapon Sodmanee said the airport kept on going through a myriad of governments and episode after episode of political tribulations that affected its operations.
He said he has experienced both boom and bust at the airport. Most regrettable was the flood disaster of 2011 when water gushed into the supposedly impregnable airport, destroying the long-held belief that Don Mueang sat upon elevated plains and out of reach of floods.
The airport staff tried their hardest to stem the onslaught. "I didn’t think I would live to see the day when Don Mueang was almost drowned," Mr Chaturongkapon said.
The entire ground floor was completely submerged. He thought it would be the end of the airport.
After the floods, salvage operations began in earnest. Today, the water marks are still visible in areas which are not back in full operation.
Rawewan Netrakevasna, general manager of Suvarnabhumi airport, said she was one of 500 officials transferred from the Department of Civil Aviation to manage Don Mueang, which was previously under the air force’s supervision.
The airport changed its status to a state enterprise on July 1, 1979. She started at the entry level of communications and public relations officer in 1977 before the Airports of Thailand (AoT), which oversees operations of state-owned airports, was established.
Her father was an air force officer and Ms Rawewan said as a young girl, she used to run around the airport grounds and watch as the facility thrived.
"Don Mueang is an important chapter of my life," she said.
She was one of the staff who opposed the government’s plan to shift all regular commercial flight operations to the newly opened Suvarnabhumi airport in 2006. The effort ended in futility. But Ms Rawewan said she knew Don Mueang would not lay dormant for long, given the burgeoning air traffic in the region.
She was right. After five months, the airport was brought back to life after the government decided to revert some flights back to Don Mueang to offset the traffic at Suvarnabhumi.
Monrudee Ketpan, director of international affairs at AoT, said she started working for the airport as head of security. In the 37 years she has been there, her saddest moment was when the floods struck the airport in 2011.
Ms Monrudee gained accolades when she successfully negotiated with a hostage taker to release a woman on Aug 29, 1991. The woman had been held at knife point for two hours before she talked the man into letting her go.
She had managed to put to the test a counter-terrorism course she had attended only that very month.
Srisuda Phueaklek, director of finance at the Amari Don Muang Airport Hotel, said the switchover to Suvarnabhumi as the country’s main airport in 2006 was one of the grimmest days for her.
"Imagine yourself watching the airport lights go out one by one and the adjacent area lining Vibhavadi Rangsit Road descending into darkness. It was an eerie and lonely feeling," she said.
With the dwindling operation of the airport, many jobs were also lost. The hotel was forced to lay off more than 200 employees because of shrinking occupancy rates, from 90% at its peak to barely 10% post-switchover.
Although the airport recovered some of its commercial air traffic later, things are not the same. "In the beginning, I couldn’t sleep. It felt strange no longer hearing the plane engines," she said.
Actress Rinlanee Sripen said it is hard to believe the airport has hit its centenary. The buildings still look strong and in sturdy shape. She had confidence in the airport’s capacity to service passengers. There was never a major problem with the runways or a long wait to collect baggage from the carousel.
Actor Karunpol Thiensuwan said passengers do not have to walk very far from getting off a plane to catch a taxi.
Apichaya Piewthongdee, 44, a company employee, said she was glad to see the airport’s facilities revamped although it could have more parking space.
Akkhapol Kampananont, a company consultant, however, has reservations about the switchover to Suvarnabhumi, suspecting political motives.
He said the reconfigured floor plans at the airport were confusing, with unclear direction signs. Advertising signs posed an eyesore. He found no substantial improvement of the facilities.
Don Mueang was opened to replace the country’s first airport, Sra Pathum, located 20 kilometres away in part of the area that is now the Royal Bangkok Sport Club’s Horse Race Track.
In 1914, the Defence Ministry found the Sra Pathum airport’s location unsuitable for aviation. The site was narrow and prone to inundation.
The ministry ordered a new airport to be built at a site called Don Iyio (named after the appearance of many falcons), north of Bangkok.
The army cleared the land and constructed a runway. A hangar and other facilities were built and airport was officially opened on March 8, 1914.
Improvements to the airport were made before its name was changed to Don Mueang Airport and later renamed Bangkok Airport on June 21, 1955.
The airport initially covered 1,770 rai of land and tripled in size after it acquired more land from the railway authorities and private firms.
On March 25, 2007, a number of commercial flights by several low-budget airlines were reverted to Don Mueang after a period of slow business following the switch-over to Suvarnabhumi.
Mr Chaturongkapon said a new passenger terminal will be opened this year to cope with the rising number of passengers, currently 18.5 million.
Under the plan, the old passenger terminal No.2, the old concourse No.5 and a seven-story parking building will be revamped, said Mr Chaturongkapon. A third passenger terminal will be added. A facility will be built to link the airport with the Red Line electric train and the Airport Link.
Currently, seven budget airlines operate at the airport: Thai AirAsia, Indonesia AirAsia, AirAsia, Orient Thai, Nok Air, Thai Lion Air and Siam GA airlines.
