PM aims high for airport
Premier outlines aviation ambitions
The government aims to have Suvarnabhumi airport rank among the world’s 20 best airports within the next five years, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin says.
This is part of the government’s “Ignite Thailand, Aviation Hub” campaign to make the kingdom a regional aviation hub, Mr Srettha, also the finance minister, said at Government House.
“Suvarnabhumi airport will become one of the world’s top 50 airports in one year and a top 20 airport within five years. I want to thank and offer support to everyone involved in fulfilling the goal of making Thailand an aviation hub,” he said.
Located i n Samut Prakan, east of Bangkok, Suvarnabhumi airport ranked 68th in the Skytrax World Airport Awards last year and 77th in 2022.
The government also plans to increase the capacity of the airport to handle 150 million passengers annually. It currently handles about 60 million passengers per year, he said.
Suvarnabhumi’s third runway is also expected to be opened for service in October, enabling the airport to handle about 90 flights per hour, up from about 60 flights, the prime minister said.
“Six months from now, I hope we will not see long queues at Suvarnabhumi,” Mr Srettha said in response to passengers and tourists’ complaints about the long wait at the airport’s immigration control.
The government also plans to develop Don Mueang airport into a point-to-point airport system and to increase its capacity from 30 million to 50 million passengers per year, with the construction of a new terminal for international passengers and expansion of its facilities, the prime minister said.
He said the government also plans to upgrade existing airports in other smaller cities across the country, such as Nan and Si Sa Ket, as well as to build new ones, such as Andaman airport in Phangnga and Lanna airport in the northern province of Lamphun.
Airports of Thailand (AoT) said it is speeding up construction of the new Andaman International Airport, which is set to become a direct long-haul flight hub in the South.
Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit said earlier that the new airport, which is in its second stage of development, will serve as an extension of Phuket airport.
The two airports are expected to handle as many as 18 million passengers per year, compared to the annual average of 12.5 million currently handled by Phuket airport, he said.
Once Andaman International Airport opens, it will be a hub for direct longdistance international flights while the original airport in Phuket will accommodate only domestic and short-haul international flights, he said.
AoT president Kerati Kijmanawat said that the AoT is ready to proceed with its East Expansion project, which involves the expansion of Suvarnabhumi’s passenger building. It will invest 9 billion baht in the project, with bidding to start in June, he said.
Construction is expected to be completed in 2027, he said.
He added that bidding for the construction of Suvarnabhumi’s West Expansion project and Satellite Terminal 2 will start next year.
Mr Kerati said earlier that the AoT also aims to increase the flight capacity of Suvarnabhumi’s Satellite Terminal 1 from 50 flights per day to 120 flights per day within two months, then 400 flights per day by the end of the year.
He said the AoT will also invest 36 billion baht in the third phase of Don Mueang airport’s development.
The plan includes the construction of a new international terminal and the renovation of Passenger Building 1.
The expansion will increase the passenger capacity from 30 million to 50 million annually.
The bidding for the project will begin later this year.
‘‘ Six months from now, I hope we will not see long queues at Suvarnabhumi.
SRETTHA THAVISIN PRIME MINISTER
A irlines
have applauded the government’s policy to develop the country as an aviation hub, but remain concerned about congestion at key airports, which requires time and a large investment in order to serve growing demand.
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin on Friday announced a plan to establish Thailand as an aviation and logistics hub, banking on its strategic location in Southeast Asia.
Thailand wants to attract more international airlines to expand their presence in the country.
Tassapon Bijleveld, executive chairman of Asia Aviation Plc (AAV), the majority shareholder of Thai AirAsia (TAA), said Thailand still requires a large-scale investment to establish itself as an aviation hub in the region.
The main airports in Bangkok — Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang — have almost reached maximum capacity, he said.
Suvarnabhumi airport is severely crowded, which is particularly problematic as it hosts the majority of inbound flights to Bangkok, while Phuket airport, the second-largest international air traffic hub, cannot expand because of geographical limitations, said Mr Tassapon.
“Long-term plans are necessary to build up Thailand as an aviation hub as the existing infrastructure is insufficient to cater to growing airline fleets and soaring passenger numbers,” he said.
A major challenge for solving congestion at Suvarnabhumi airport is there is only one passenger terminal, said Mr Tassapon.
A satellite terminal recently opened, but even it is inadequate to cope with the large number of international flights, he said.
“Becoming an aviation hub might take time and a large investment, but the government should make the plan clear and start it as soon as possible, whether it involves expanding Suvarnabhumi airport or adding an airport in Phangnga to absorb congestion in Phuket,” said Mr Tassapon.
Regarding the policy to upgrade provincial airports to international airports, such as Udon Thani, Khon Kaen and Buri Ram, he said airlines agree with this plan, but the government should commit to long-term development and not delay projects as is occurring with some airports at present. In related news, the aviation business in Thailand continued to grow during the high season as operating results significantly improved in the fourth quarter of 2023.
AAV reported a net profit of 2.8 billion baht for the period from revenue of 12.4 billion baht, growing 51% year-on-year.
In terms of annual performance, AAV posted a net profit of 466 million baht on revenue of 41.2 billion baht, attributed to a 90% load factor as it carried more than 18.9 million passengers, increasing 90% from 2022.
Bangkok Airways secured net profit of 3 billion baht for 2023 on revenue of 21.7 billion, tallying 3.97 million passengers for the year.
The Association of Asia Pacific Airlines reported on Thursday a positive trend for international traffic and cargo in January as airlines in Asia-Pacific carried a combined 27 million passengers, with traffic reaching 82% of the 2019 level.
Available seat capacity increased 51.3% year-on-year, according to the association.