Thailand has launched the operations of a new airport in Bangkok

Bangkok - Thailand, where a military coup took place last week, officially began operations at the new Suvarnabhumi international airport in Bangkok today. The terminal is intended to become the busiest in Southeast Asia. The first day of operations was accompanied by several minor technical issues that resulted in lost baggage and flight delays, but for the most part, passengers had a positive impression of the modern airport.
Flights to the old Don Muang airport were halted at midnight local time on Wednesday, but the entire transfer to the new airport took several more hours. There were some minor issues at the check-in counters and with baggage transport, which led to delays in some flights.
"For the first day, it's pretty good. We thought there would be more chaos," said Australian passenger Stephen Gordon to AP agency. He added that overall he was very impressed by the modern and spacious design of the building.
The project for the construction of the airport appeared in 1960, but the foundation stone was not laid until January 2002. Delays were caused by military coups and the Asian financial crisis in 1997. It also took five years to drain the swamp that was on the site where the airport now stands. The nearly four billion dollar project was accompanied by several corruption scandals.
Suvarnabhumi Airport, translated as "Golden Land," is capable of handling 45 million passengers annually. The old Don Muang airport, which was one of the busiest in Southeast Asia, handled 38 million passengers.
The long-term expansion plan includes a terminal for low-cost airlines and two additional arrival and departure runways that would increase the airport's capacity to 100 million passengers a year, making it the largest airport in Asia. The airport will be able to handle up to 76 flights per hour and can accommodate the new large Airbus A380 aircraft.
The airport is located 25 kilometers from the center of Bangkok, covering an area of 3,200 hectares. The average travel time to the center is 35 to 40 minutes, and a high-speed rail line is under construction.
The airport also boasts several records. The control tower, at a height of 132 meters, is the tallest in the world, and on clear days, buildings in downtown Bangkok can be seen from there. The terminal building itself, with an area of 563,000 square meters, is also the largest in the world, reported AP and Reuters.