Latest one liner from Bangkok is that the view from the Air Traffic Control Tower at just opened Suvarnabhumi International Airport, now the world's tallest, is so high up at 132 meters (436 feet) – “you cannot see anything on the ground.”
     Whatever the long or short-term view, the opening of a great airport today proves that nothing including a recent coup gets in the way of business. The “soft” celebration of a new aerial gateway that cost $3 billion began with the arrival of LH 8442, an all-cargo flight from Frankfurt at 0:302 hrs this morning local time.
     Air cargo scores another important first!
     Although plans to include Thailand King Bhumibol Adulyadej to cut a ribbon apparently are scrapped at least for now, it is worth mentioning he is still on the throne as reality finally came to an ongoing project that has been in the works since the Monarch who has ruled this land for more than 60 years (longest in the world) was a mere Royal lad.
     It probably didn’t hurt that HRH backed the coups.
     Backing the right side in a coup here is high art for a monarch who has seen 18 governmental takeovers during his reign.
     Despite being one of the more peaceful countries in Southeast Asia, Thailand has a long history of coups.
     There's been no violence so far, and authorities are encouraging tourism and other business-as-normal.
     "Business as usual" is the operative quote here.
     That means the new airport opened as planned; hotels and restaurants are operating, and tours are running, including in Bangkok, the capital city where the coup took place.
     According to a statement from Thailand's Ministry of Tourism and Sports:
     "All tourist destinations, facilities and services in the country remain in operation without disruption, and all tourism-related events organized under the authority of the Ministry will be held as scheduled."
     One report has it that police in tourist spots have been told to "take extra care and precaution with the tourists."
     That is good news to scores of airport and airline executives including the executive team of Barry Nassberg, John Gemmell (pictured right) and others from WFS who travelled to the city to be part of the opening.
     By actual count Suvarnabhumi, start to finish, took about 40 years to bring to market.
     What Thailand and the world gets for the wait, aside from the requisite glitches that will make headlines, is a huge and beautiful airport, with a 560 meter main terminal, presently the largest in the world.
     The new terminal designed by German architect Helmut Jahn is bright and airy.
     While as mentioned the control tower soars above it all here as the highest in the world, the passenger terminal building is also touted as the largest single building on the planet.
     But it doesn’t stop there.
     BKK/VTBS new digs are said to be able to handle up to 45 million passengers right now with room for extension to up to 100 million.
     This is a place of grand and integrated design that also includes more Thailand touches after local criticism raised awareness that the new airport could use a better sense of the local culture.
     So now passenger gates at the airport are executed in the leaf shape of the lotus flower.
     BKK/VTBS also jumps to the head of world airport development with five gates ready, willing and we assume able, to welcome the eventual arrival of the Super Airbus A380.
     But even as the carpets were being swept and other last minute details for this official debut were being finalized, local newspapers here were filled with daily observations, comments and headlines of continued problems at the airport with glitches as flights began landing and taking off.
     AoT – the public company running six major airports in Thailand of course is taking all of this quite seriously although at this point undoubtedly with toughened skin after the constant buffeting.
     As those empty gates awaiting the first scheduled A380 testify, moving a giant leap forward in transportation is certainly not for the faint of heart.
     As yesterday's debut approached flight testing continued, up to and past the time the champagne was poured with rotations in and out to and from Hong Kong as well as Singapore.
     Movements included maximum passenger loads utilizing Airbus A 340’s as well as a Boeing 747in parallel action with both runways and all functions including baggage handling in on the dress rehearsal.
     Numerous test flights were also performed to check ATC, communications and all other functions in the air as well as on the ground.
     More than 80 international airlines and Thai Airways are gradually moving from Don Muang to the new airport.


   Here, Stewart Sinclair, Managing Director of Bangkok Flight Services (BFS) overlooks passenger ground handling and the BFS cargo facility, the new cargo hub for Southeast Asia.
  Pictured inside a spacious new terminal are Thai Airways Mrs. Suvimol Bualerd and Kamarat Supprasit.           

     A state-of- the-art airport of superlatives includes air cargo, enabling Bangkok to finally at least even the playing field versus all airports in the region, including Singapore-Changi and even Hong Kong.
     The simple fact that everything is “new” and the location is perfect in Southeast Asia could eventually pan out, giving the new airport a natural edge.
     The name Suvarnabhumi means (the Land of Gold) or Suvarnadvipa (the Island of Gold), depending on which scholar catches your ear.
     Like many other things here people seem to take an almost perverse pleasure in disputing the exact definition.
     But the origins of the airport’s name lie in India where a vision and description of this place as a “Land of Gold” originated.
     Before the words Southeast Asia became common usage after World War II, the region was often described as Further or Greater India, and it was common to describe the Indonesian region or Malay Archipelago as the East Indies.
     The reason may be found in the fact that, prior to Western dominance, Southeast Asia was closely allied to India culturally and commercially.
     For those keeping count, the history of Indian expansion in the region goes back more than fifteen hundred years.
     Cargo activities are now operational in a Customs Free Zone allowing free movement between facilities for build up or reconsolidation of consignments .
     Two operators have been assigned to handle air cargo at BKK, VTBS- Thai Airways International and Bangkok Flight Services (BFS). BFS Bangkok Flight Services (BFS), a joint venture of WFS and Bangkok Airways operates cargo for a growing list of international clients.
(Geoffrey)