BANGKOK – The Airports of Thailand (AOT) has announced its plan to urgently develop six of Thailand’s main international airports to accommodate the growing tourism sector.
AOT President Nitinai Sirismatthakarn said the development plan accommodates the growing aviation industry, as low-cost airlines in Thailand are offering new local and overseas destinations.
Mr. Nitinai explained that according to the AOT’s master plan, it hopes to develop and expand six airports over the course of a decade with a budget of 200 billion baht.
The six airports are Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Mae Fah Luang Chiang Rai, and Hat Yai international airports.
He added that the first five years of the plan involve the second phase of the Suvarnabhumi expansion and the third phase of renovations at Don Mueang.
After completion, Suvarnabhumi International Airport will be able to handle 60 million passengers per year, a significant increase from the current 45 million. The construction will commence in August and is set to finish in 2019.
The latter project seeks to renovate the existing passenger terminals and roads in the Don Mueang airport, while building 12 more airport aprons.
Mr. Nitinai expected that once the project is completed in 2022, Don Mueang International Airport would be able to welcome an additional 40 million passengers per year.
He said the company’s plan is inline with the government’s policy to boost tourism, which started from October last year and concluded in May. The AOT President pointed out that, over the period, the six airports saw an increase of about 81 million passengers comparing to the same period of the previous year.
