Suvarnabhumi's SAT-1 terminal to soft-launch Sept. 28

[Guest reader]

From The Thaiger

Suvarnabhumi International Airport, governed by Airports of Thailand (AoT), is set to soft-launch its Satellite 1 (SAT-1) terminal on September 28, following a successful full-scale trial involving 180 mock passengers and their luggage. The trial aimed to evaluate operations at both the SAT-1 satellite passenger terminal and the primary terminal, with Thai Airways offering assistance by supplying cabin crew and aircraft for the process.

Kittipong Kittikachorn, the Director of Suvarnabhumi, stated that the trial encompassed a comprehensive operation involving aircraft, incoming and outgoing passengers, transfer passengers, baggage handling systems, and cargo operations. The Immigration Division 2, the Cargo Clearance Customs Bureau, Aeronautical Radio of Thailand and Bangkok Aviation Fuel Services were also present to oversee the operations, he added.

Kittipong also revealed that two additional trials are scheduled for the coming days, with Thai AirAsia X and Worldwide Flight Services Bangkok Air Ground Handling Co Ltd conducting one on Tuesday, and Thai Vietjet conducting another on September 20. The latter trial is specifically designed for departing passengers on night flights.

The director further elaborated that between September 28 and October 28, the SAT-1 terminal will be open to three airlines: Thai AirAsia X, VietJet Air, and Emirates, during the soft-opening phase. The new terminal is projected to be fully operational by December this year, ultimately providing a solution to reduce congestion at the main terminal.

The SAT-1 terminal, which has a capacity of handling 15 million passengers annually, will enable Suvarnabhumi Airport to cater to up to 60 million passengers a year, marking a significant 33% increase. The terminal boasts 28 contact gates, with eight specifically designed to accommodate Code F aircraft (the double-decker A380 superjumbo jets) and the remaining 20 for Code E aircraft (Boeing B747s).

The terminal’s four-storey facility spans a total floor area of 216,000 square metres, with two underground floors dedicated to hosting the Automated People Mover (APM) train system and other systems. The APM train system, designed to connect the SAT-1 and the existing passenger terminal, can accommodate 210 passengers per train, or roughly 6,000 passengers per hour. Each trip on the train, which has a maximum speed of 80kph, takes a mere three minutes, Kittikachorn added.

The commencement of the SAT-1 terminal will eliminate the need for international passengers to take shuttle buses to their gates, boosting convenience and efficiency, reports Bangkok Post.

[macaroni21]

Just a word of thanks to @reader for these news updates that are posted from time to time. They keep those of us outside Thailand updated on changes so we're not surprised when we do arrive in Thailand.

One small thing about the above news story though: it says "providing a solution to reduce congestion at the main terminal"... But the worst congestion, when it happens, tends to happen at immigration. I don't suppose a satellite terminal does anything for that.

[Keithambrose]

Yes, and the scrum when you finally get through the customs area!

[PeterRS]

On 9/10/2023 at 5:11 PM, reader said:

From The Thaiger

Suvarnabhumi International Airport, governed by Airports of Thailand (AoT), is set to soft-launch its Satellite 1 (SAT-1) terminal on September 28, following a successful full-scale trial involving 180 mock passengers and their luggage.

AOT think 180 mock passengers is sufficient to see that all is working smoothly and to iron out any kinks? I remember before Hong Kong's new airport opened, they had 10,000 volunteers for a day of test runs. Everything was working perfectly we were told. Then the day the airport opened, it was absolute chaos. Flight information displays crashed. Even the underground train taking passengers in the evening from check in to the far gates suddenly stopped mid-way and slowly backed into a siding. It could then not be moved for 3 hours, resulting in hundreds missing flights. It took a week before all the problems were more or less sorted out. 

With SAT-1 being part of an existing airport, it is unlikely teething problems will be more than minor. But with 28 gates and a planned capacity of 15 million, something will go wrong!

[Guest reader]

No doubt but more will go right.

[vinapu]

4 hours ago, PeterRS said:

 I remember before Hong Kong's new airport opened, they had 10,000 volunteers for a day of test runs. Everything was working perfectly we were told. Then the day the airport opened, it was absolute chaos.

don't compare messy HongKong with Thailand which is   known as Switzerland of Asia 

[TMax]

On 9/10/2023 at 8:35 PM, macaroni21 said:

But the worst congestion, when it happens, tends to happen at immigration. I don't suppose a satellite terminal does anything for that.

And it appears to be that the governing powers haven't figured that one out yet, sometimes it takes forever for the penny to drop but I still think they may never figure out a solution to the immigration queues, the solution of which is pretty obvious to just about everyone else. 

[PeterRS]

10 hours ago, reader said:

No doubt but more will go right.

Hopefully more than 51% 😵

[Keithambrose]

15 hours ago, PeterRS said:

AOT think 180 mock passengers is sufficient to see that all is working smoothly and to iron out any kinks? I remember before Hong Kong's new airport opened, they had 10,000 volunteers for a day of test runs. Everything was working perfectly we were told. Then the day the airport opened, it was absolute chaos. Flight information displays crashed. Even the underground train taking passengers in the evening from check in to the far gates suddenly stopped mid-way and slowly backed into a siding. It could then not be moved for 3 hours, resulting in hundreds missing flights. It took a week before all the problems were more or less sorted out. 

With SAT-1 being part of an existing airport, it is unlikely teething problems will be more than minor. But with 28 gates and a planned capacity of 15 million, something will go wrong!

Remember the chaos when they opened Terminal 5 at Heathrow!

[Guest reader]

6 hours ago, PeterRS said:

Hopefully more than 51% 😵

Which I think will bring you great delight.

[PeterRS]

3 hours ago, Keithambrose said:

Remember the chaos when they opened Terminal 5 at Heathrow!

Add to the list Denver and Kuala Lumpur!

[vinapu]

lets wait for opening of new airport in Siem Reap and see how it'll go, specially part of commuting to and from there

[Keithambrose]

I aim to be trying it in January! Wish me luck!

[vinapu]

1 hour ago, Keithambrose said:

I aim to be trying it in January! Wish me luck!

I do. They plan to open new REP airport in October so by time you land we may hopefully have some reports here .

[Keithambrose]

Yes, I am hoping I can get to my hotel on the same day that I land!

[Guest reader]

Excerpted from Tourism Authority of Thailand press release

Covering a total indoor usable area of 251,400 square metres and apron area of more than 260,000 square metres, the SAT-1 terminal is a four-storey building with two basements.

The B2 level is home to the APM Station.

The B1 level is for the systems control room.

G level houses the Baggage Handling System (BHS) and offices.

Level 2 is dedicated to arrival passengers and those on flight connections.

Level 3 is the departure area with a waiting area for boarding passengers in an open gate style layout and shops lining along the hallway.

Level 4 is set aside for passenger lounges, airlines’ lounges, and other facilities.

The building is connected to the main terminal by an underground tunnel with a length of about one kilometre. Operating inside the tunnel are the APM system, the BHS, and two airside service roads.

Travelling from the current terminal to the SAT-1 terminal is by means of the APM, an unmanned electric vehicle with rubber wheels used solely to transport passengers.

Passengers travelling on international flights departing and arriving from the SAT-1 can take the APM. The journey time, including waiting time at the station for passengers, is about three minutes, and the APM can accommodate up to 210 passengers per train per way.

The new terminal comes with 28 contact gate aircraft parking stands capable of accommodating 8 Code F Aircraft, such as A380 and B747-8, and 20 Code E Aircraft like B747 and A340. 

There are 64 passenger loading bridges, 24 of them are under Code F and 40 under Code E.

In the initial period, Thai AirAsia X and Thai Vietjet will be operating flights through SAT-1. Thai AirAsia X will operate 14 flights per day, while Thai Vietjet will have four flights a day operating through the SAT-1 terminal. Duty-free delivery counter services, duty-free shops, restaurants, and special passenger lounges will be partially open for operation.

The maiden flight to the SAT-1 on 28 September is Thai AirAsia X Flight XJ 0761 arriving from Shanghai at 10.15 Hrs.

[PeterRS]

It certainly looks more pleasant than the existing main terminal. Opening with just two smallish airlines with only 18 daily flights on single aisle aircraft makes a great deal of sense. It stands a good chance of avoiding the chaos I mentioned in my earlier post where old airports like Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur closed one evening and the new ones completely reopened with full flight schedules the next morning.

[vinapu]

25 minutes ago, PeterRS said:

. It stands a good chance of avoiding the chaos I mentioned in my earlier post where old airports like Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur closed one evening and the new ones completely reopened with full flight schedules the next morning.

Shortly we should have the same in Siem Reap.

[Keithambrose]

1 hour ago, vinapu said:

Shortly we should have the same in Siem Reap.

Except without any connection to the city!

[vinapu]

1 hour ago, Keithambrose said:

Except without any connection to the city!

let's see how it will work, hope we will be surprised

[Keithambrose]

11 hours ago, vinapu said:

let's see how it will work, hope we will be surprised

Happy to hope!

[Guest reader]

From The Nation

Passengers flying from new terminal advised to allow extra 20 minutes

People taking flights at Suvarnabhumi International Airport have been advised to check their flight information carefully to avoid confusion now that the new satellite terminal has been opened.

“If you accidentally enter the new satellite terminal [SAT-1], you will have to restart the whole check-in process again and this delay may result in you missing your flight,” the Airports of Thailand (AOT) warned on Friday.

The terminal, for which a soft opening was held on Friday, is designed to handle 15 million passengers annually, marking a 33% increase in the airport’s capacity from 45 million passengers to 60 million.

Currently, two airlines are scheduled to use the SAT-1 terminals for specific routes. They are:

• Thai AirAsia X flights to and from Japan (Tokyo, Osaka, Sapporo), South Korea (Seoul), and China (Shanghai)
• Thai Vietjet Air flights to and from Singapore, Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City) and Taiwan (Taipei).

“Check your boarding pass. If it says Gate S101 to S128, that means you need to travel from the main terminal to SAT-1 terminal to board your flight,” AOT director Kirati Kitmanawat said, adding that passengers are advised to use the automated people mover (APM) as the terminals are one kilometre apart.

Kirati added that according to a trial run, travelling from the main terminal to SAT-1 takes no more than 18 minutes.

Since the APM leaves every five minutes, he said, passengers should ensure they have at least 20 minutes to spare.

Airlines that have expressed interest in using the new terminal include Emirates, Etihad, Qatar, Mahan Air, All Nippon and Thai Airways International.

[macaroni21]

“If you accidentally enter the new satellite terminal [SAT-1], you will have to restart the whole check-in process again and this delay may result in you missing your flight,” the Airports of Thailand (AOT) warned on Friday.

Why????   It doesn't say.

I've seen other airports with satellite terminals and while there's time lost from backtracking to the main terminal, there's no need to check in again.

 

[vinapu]

I guess we need to wait for first hand report from actual traveller to see how it really works

[thaiophilus]

On 10/2/2023 at 2:20 AM, vinapu said:

I guess we need to wait for first hand report from actual traveller to see how it really works

... one who's prepared to "accidentally enter" the new terminal and miss a flight to find out what happens?

Any volunteers?