Suvarnabhumi Airport. Image by Flickr user David McKelvey.
A quick look at some of the things that happened this week in the world of urban gondolas, cable cars and cable propelled transit:
Suvarnabhumi Airport (Bangkok, Thailand)
The world’s largest manufacturer of ropeways, Doppelmayr, is following several cable car opportunities in Thailand. Among the five projects, Suvarnabhumi Airport is planning to construct an APM system to facilitate passenger movement as the airport undergoes its second-phase expansion plans. Five companies are believed to to be competing for the Bt2.89 billion ($89 million) contract.
Cable Car Cancelled (Lima, Peru)
The proposed cable car going up Cerro San Cristobal has been cancelled. Project proponents have filed a lawsuit against the municipality and appear to be seeking $6 million in indemnification. The company was originally awarded a 30 year concession for the cable car back in 2008.
Sơn Đoòng Cave (Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park, Vietnam)
After a cable car proposal was announced in the world’s largest cave, environmentalists quickly denounced the plans. However, officials say that the proposal would not see a gondola travel in the cave, rather the 11km system will terminate 300-600m from the cave entrance. The province attracted 2.75 million visitors in 2014, two times more than the previous year.