Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha endorsed plans to develop U-Tapao-Rayong-Pattaya Airport into a commercial aviation hub during a visit to the Eastern Seaboard, joining a long list of prime ministers who have done the same over the past few decades.
The general, joined by the interior and industry ministers as well as Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak, who heads the economic team, arrived at the Royal Thai Navy-administered airport from Bangkok June 22 to review ongoing redevelopment work as well as ink the agreement for formation of a new Eastern Special Economic Zone encompassing Chonburi, Rayong and Chachoengsao provinces.
U-Tapao airport long has had minimal commercial air service, but mostly has handled charter flights and served as the base for the navy’s 9th Air Wing. It’s U.S.-built, 3.5-kilometer-long runway also allowed U-Tapao to be a training base for Thai Airways International’s Airbus A380 crews.
A new passenger terminal is under construction to offer 22,000 sq. meters able to support 1,500 passengers daily. Improvements to the runway will allow U-Tapao to serve four large planes concurrently.
A budget of 239 million baht calls for not only the new terminal and runway upgrades, but an aviation fuel station, jet bridges, navigation lights for parking and two cargo terminals with loading equipment and ground-support equipment.
The budget also funds training for the Airport Authority of Thailand and airport staffers.
