N E S W 29°
03L / 21R
RWY 03L/21R
HDG 29°
LEN 12,139 ft
Don Mueang International Airport

Runway 03L at VTBD

Runway 03L/21R at Don Mueang International Airport (VTBD) in Bangkok is a 12,139 ft, lighted, asphalt runway oriented 029°/209°. The runway is 197 ft wide. SkyMeter has observed 10 landings and 1 departures on this runway over the last 30 days, with approximately 0.0% of arrivals resulting in a go-around. Trace data shows an average final-approach slope of 4.2°, touchdowns averaging 13,614 ft past the threshold, a typical touchdown ground speed of 88 kt, a 3.9 kt average crosswind component, a 4.8 kt average tailwind.

Last 30 Days
11 Operations
1 Deps / 10 Arrs

Runway 03L/21R at Don Mueang International Airport (VTBD) in Bangkok is a 12,139 ft, lighted, asphalt runway oriented 029°/209°. The runway is 197 ft wide. SkyMeter has observed 10 landings and 1 departures on this runway over the last 30 days, with approximately 0.0% of arrivals resulting in a go-around. Trace data shows an average final-approach slope of 4.2°, touchdowns averaging 13,614 ft past the threshold, a typical touchdown ground speed of 88 kt, a 3.9 kt average crosswind component, a 4.8 kt average tailwind.

Runway at a Glance

Arrival Volume

10 landings observed on Runway 03L in the last 30 days, alongside 1 departures.

Peak Hour

Busiest landing window observed at 00:00 with 11 arrivals on the recent sample.

Average Touchdown Zone

Aircraft touch down on average 13,614 ft from the threshold on Runway 03L.

Prevailing Wind & Gust History

Over the past 365 days, winds at VTBD have prevailed from the south (180°), accounting for roughly 18% of windy observations. Average wind speed sits at 6.1 kt with peak gusts to 37 kt. Strong-wind days are infrequent here.

Light Crosswind Component

Average crosswind on landing is 3.9 kt at touchdown, measured against runway 03L alignment.

Approach Slope

Final-approach slope averages 4.2° on Runway 03L, steeper than the standard 3°.

Landing Behavior and Touchdown Performance

The metrics below are computed from ADS-B trace data observed at Runway 03L over the last 30 days. Each value is shown only when at least 10 valid samples were available; sparse cells are hidden rather than estimated.

Avg approach slope
4.2°
Avg touchdown GS
88 kts
Avg touchdown zone
13,614 ft
Avg headwind
-4.8 kt

Hourly Landing Distribution

00:00 11 landings
01:00 7 landings
02:00 7 landings
04:00 3 landings
05:00 4 landings

Recent observed landings on Runway 03L grouped by hour-of-day (UTC).

Approach Types and Categories

Aircraft approach runways using different procedures based on weather conditions, visibility, and available navigation equipment. An Instrument Landing System (ILS) approach provides precision horizontal and vertical guidance using ground-based radio signals, enabling aircraft to land in low visibility conditions. Visual approaches require pilots to maintain visual contact with the runway and surrounding terrain, typically used during clear weather. Area Navigation (RNAV) approaches use GPS technology to guide aircraft along specific flight paths.

Approach Categories Explained

Category (CAT) classifications define minimum visibility and decision height requirements for instrument approaches. Higher categories enable operations in lower visibility conditions.

CAT I
Decision Height: 200 ft
Visibility: 550m
CAT II
Decision Height: 100 ft
Visibility: 300m
CAT III
Decision Height: 0-50 ft
Visibility: 0-200m
Visual
Clear of Clouds
Visibility: 5 km

Wind and Environmental Factors

Wind conditions directly impact runway operations, influencing approach difficulty, landing performance, and runway selection. Runway 03L benefits from favorable wind alignment, with prevailing winds creating minimal crosswind components for most operations. Average wind speeds of 12 knots pose no operational constraints for commercial aircraft.

24-Hour Wind Pattern

00:00
205° at 3 kts, gusting 7 kts
3 kts
02:00
230° at 9 kts, gusting 0 kts
9 kts
04:00
270° at 11 kts, gusting 0 kts
11 kts
05:00
250° at 7 kts, gusting 0 kts
7 kts
01:00
241° at 7 kts, gusting 10 kts
7 kts
METAR
260° at 12 kts, gusting 0 kts
12 kts

Wind patterns show typical diurnal variation with stronger winds during midday hours.

Average Speed
12 kts
Peak Gust
18 kts
Prevailing Direction
29°
Avg Crosswind
8 kts

Related Pages

About This Data

This analysis covers 11 operations recorded over the past 30 days, derived from global ADS-B flight broadcasts. Coverage may be incomplete in areas with limited ground-station reception, and statistics may vary with weather and traffic volume.