One near Chiang Mai, the other just north of Phuket.
Thailand will get two more international airports, to cope with an increase in both domestic and international passengers, according to Airports of Thailand. AoT CEO Kirati Kitmanawat says capacity at the country’s existing airports will also be increased.
The new airport north of Phuket will be called the Andaman Airport and will be constructed to the east of Kok Kloi, about 10-15 minutes north of Phuket’s Sarasin Bridge. The new airport, currently named ‘Lanna Airport’ will be constructed in northern Thailand, just south of Chiang Mai.
Thai PBS World reports that AoT also plans to invest around 150 billion baht in the expansion and creation of the Lanna and Andaman airports, which are expected to cost 70 billion baht and 80 billion baht respectively. Both airports are expected to serve 40 million passengers annually.
Feasibility studies are currently being conducted, with AoT expected to begin a land acquisition process by mid-2024.
Additionally, both the Phuket and Chiang Mai airports will be expanded, with a new terminal being constructed at Chiang Mai Airport. AoT aims to turn the facility into an international gateway to increase its current capacity of 8 million passengers a year.
In Phuket, the international airport will be expanded to handle 20 million passengers a year. The airport currently handles 12 million passengers annually.
In Bangkok, the number of passengers handled by Suvarnabhumi this year was 60 million, down from 65 million prior to the pandemic. However, the number is expected to go back up to 65 million next year and could be 80 million by 2027.
For this reason, Kirati says extra capacity is needed, including a planned 50% expansion of aerobridge terminal space. AoT is planning to add an extra 28 aerobridges and phase out the bus to gate service. A third runway is also in the works, to improve apron parking capacity for aircraft, and an upgrade to the luggage transport system.
Bangkok’s other airport, Don Mueang, is also set to get a third terminal. The first two terminals will serve domestic flights only, in recognition of an increase in domestic passengers. The terminals’ capacity will increase from 20 million passengers a year to 35 million.
SOURCE: Thai PBS World
