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'Timetable too tight' for Suvarnabhumi

POST REPORTERS

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra admitted for the first time yesterday that Suvarnabhumi airport might not be open to passenger flights on Sept 29 next year as scheduled.

After being briefed and shown around Bangkok's new international airport in Bang Phli district of Samut Prakan, he admitted that the construction timetable could well be ''too tight''.

It was possible the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) would not have enough time to test and approve the whole airport in time by Sept 29.

''It will be fine if the opening is postponed for one or two months next year,'' the prime minister said.

He said construction would be finished and the airport would be ready for local authorities to start operational tests in March. When they finished their tests they would hand the airport over to the ICAO, which was duty-bound to guarantee safe services at airports, for pre-approval tests on Sept 19.

''I confirm that on Sept 29, 2005 aircraft will be able to touch down at the new airport, but whether it can open for service depends on the ICAO issuing a licence to operate,'' he told reporters.

Areas the prime minister expressed concern about were progress in installing luggage handling systems, power and water supplies, air-conditioning systems and the construction of the passenger terminal and road access.

Many aspects of the construction would use the same areas at the same time, he said. He hoped contractors could speed up work to allow room for possible mistakes and corrections within the time table.

But Premchai Karnasuta, executive chairman of Italian-Thai Development Plc _ the major contractor for the 86-billion-baht airport project, said that it was not possible to further speed up construction.

Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit said that if the opening was delayed, then Don Muang airport could continue handling flights until the new airport was ready.

Mr Thaksin spent last night at the airport and had talks with key contractors. A cabinet meeting is planned at the site today.



Contractors complained that they were already forced to try and lure foremen and top hands from other companies at the site to complete the work on time.

Thavorn Senniam, head of the Democrat party's committee scrutinising the airport project, called on the prime minister to accept full responsibility if the opening of Suvarnabhumi was delayed.

Mr Thavorn said not only was construction of the passenger terminal way behind schedule, but the whole project was riddled with irregularities. He pointed to the design changes made to the passenger terminal as an example.

The Democrat MP for Songkhla charged the deadline was simply an excuse for the government to bypass bidding contests and use special procurement methods.

''Several of the procurement schemes are dubious. The government told the people the airport was a mega-project and should be completed by Sept 29 next year,'' he said.

''I'd like to say here that the airport will not be ready by the deadline, which was a lie the government told so it could exploit the project for its benefit,'' he said.

Mr Thavorn also criticised the prime minister's plan to camp out at the airport site last night.

''It's just another image-building attempt, which the prime minister is good at,'' he said