Airports of Thailand outlines major expansion
Airports of Thailand will complete improvements at all of the six airports under its management over the next two years.
AoT chairman, Prasong Poontaneat, said the company has made big strides to resolve capacity issues mainly in terminal buildings.
AoT is renovating Terminal 2 and Concourse 5 at Don Mueang International Airport. Work should be completed by August this year with operations coming on line in September, a month ahead of the tourist peak season.
Don Mueang’s annual passenger-handling capacity will increase to 30 million from the present 18.5 million.
As part of an overall upgrade, Terminal 1 will also undergo further improvements and eventually cater to just international passengers while Terminal 2 will be used entirely for domestic travel.
At Suvarnabhumi Airport, AoT has identified three projects — the mid-field terminal, passenger terminal and overall infrastructure.
This year, AoT will begin seeking contractors a process that could take nine months.
Actual construction is expected to commence in March, next year, and all the work should be completed by 2019, which will raise Suvarnabhumi’s passenger handling capacity to 60 million a year from 45 million.
The overall cost will be shaved from THB62.5 billion to THB6 billion. No details of how the AoT will finance the project, but most of it should come from cash revenue and government loans.
Meanwhile, a plan to build a third runway at Suvarnabhumi is undergoing an Environmental Health Impact Assessment (EIA) by the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning.
At the same time, a plan to build a second passenger terminal at Suvarnabhumi is under revision as the business outlook has changed from the time the project was first proposed.
The revision will take into account the current roles of Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang and their traffic growth patterns as well as the growth of the airline business.
It is thought that expansion at Don Mueang airport will absorb considerable passenger volume as the main growth in aviation is taking place in the low-cost airline segment. This will take pressure off Suvarnabhumi airport.
Phuket International Airport’s annual passenger handling capacity will grow to 12.5 million from 6.5 million, making it imperative to open an international terminal.
“Construction of the international terminal is 70% completed, well ahead of schedule, and the facility should open to commercial flights in February next year.”
The upgrade of the existing terminal, which will be converted to serve domestic passengers, will begin soon.
In addition, effort to raise the service quality at Hat Yai International Airport is underway with improvements to aprons, additional carousels and passenger terminal enhancement.
At Chiang Mai International Airport, the current focus is on a two-stage improvement geared easing congestion.
The immediate plan, slated for completion by 2018, calls for improvements to passenger departure and arrival areas and car parks.
During 2016 to 2020, Chiang Mai airport’s terminal capacity will increase to 15 million passengers a year from 8 million at present.
At Chiang Rai Mae Fah Luang International Airport, the second-floor of the terminal will be turned into an international passenger hall, while more check-in counters will be added.
During the first five months of the year, the country’s main gateway Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport handled 22.86 million passenger movements followed by Don Mueang with 12.15 million, Phuket 5.56 million, Chiang Mai 3.43 million, Hat Yai 1.53 million, and 708,491 in Chiang Rai.
AoT’s airports are now served by 137 international airlines.
