BANGKOK, Feb 7 — Don Mueang Airport lost Bt200-300 million (US$6.6-10 million) in revenue during the flood crisis last year which forced the airport to halt its services, Don Mueang Airport General Manager Group Captain Kanputt Mungklasiri said here on Tuesday.
Capt Kanputt, who is also Airports of Thailand (AoT) Executive Vice President said flight operations at the airport ceased on Oct 25 after its runways were flooded. The closure affected income by Bt50-60 million monthly with an accumulated loss of Bt200-300 million for four consecutive months.
He said the airport has expenditures of around Bt70 million per month which AoT would shoulder.
Civil Aviation Department (CAD) Director-General Woradet Hanprasert said last week that the CAD and AoT would jointly officially reopen Don Mueang Airport on March 2 to show the facility’s readiness for commercial use and that flights would begin on March 6.
As for the progress on commercial use of the airport, he said, the Business Development Department is studying the plans and he believed that if they are implemented, they could generate more revenue for the airport.
Under the development plan, there are six activities for the airport including maintenance centres for narrow-bodied aircraft, and for medium and small aircraft, an international trade centre, a regional flight simulation centre and a chartered flight terminal.
