Bangkok – State-run Airports of Thailand (AOT) Public Company Limited is preparing to expand cargo capacity at six airports to accommodate the growing e-commerce sector and enable Thailand to be a regional hub for air transportation.
AOT President Nitinai Sirismatthakarn said that during the first eight months of fiscal year 2018 between October 2017 and May this year, AOT airports handled over 580,000 flights, an increase of 6.17%. The number consists of over 300,000 international flights, an increase on the same period last year of 12.63%, and over 270,000 domestic flights, increasing slightly by 0.24%. The flights serviced up to 95 million passengers, an increase of almost 10%. Business profits in the first six months rose for a fourth consecutive year to 13.4 billion baht.
Nitinai added that the second phase expansion project at Suvarnabhumi International Airport will open its initial terminal by 2020. The second terminal, which will accommodate an additional 30 million passengers per year, will begin construction next year and be completed in 2021.
Meanwhile, the construction of a multi-purpose building for international travelers at Don Muang Airport is expected to be completed in the next eight months. AOT’s expansion plans for its six airports will enable it to accommodate up to 185 million passengers in 2022, from the current 100 million.
In addition, AOT plans on expanding its air cargo business to accommodate the growing e-commerce business. Currently, AOT’s six airports can accommodate up to 3.6 million metric tons of cargo and mail parcels.
