Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport is to get a third passenger terminal, to improve capacity at the capital’s second airport. The project was confirmed by Airports of Thailand president, Kerati Kijmanawat, yesterday, August 29.
Over the past week the new PM Srettha Thavisin has been talking up the importance of tourism to support the Thai economy and mentioned the construction of a new airport in Phang Nga.
Kerati was fresh from a meeting of 8 airline representatives and the PM at Pheu Thai headquarters the day before. Attendees discussed preparations for the forthcoming high tourist season and updated the PM on the outlook for domestic and international air travel.
The AoT boss says the new terminal will take Don Mueang’s current capacity of 30 million passengers a year to 50 million by 2029. The new terminal will be situated on the south side of the airport, providing an additional 155,000 square metres of space to handle an extra 18 million passengers a year.
According to a Bangkok Post report, AoT held its first public meeting yesterday, to invite feedback on the project. Kerati says that once the third terminal is complete, the two existing terminals will be combined, to become a single domestic passenger terminal. Domestic passengers at Don Mueang are expected to reach 22 million a year in the near future.
The third terminal will have 12 parking bays for aircraft and AoT has also pledged to improve traffic flow in front of terminal buildings. There are also plans to renovate the 7-storey parking building, to include a new “VIP” reception building and a building to house airline offices.
Don Mueang was the original, and only, international airport in Thailand before it was replaced with Suvarnabhumi Airport in 2006. It was mothballed for a time before being reopened as an airport servicing many of the budget international and domestic routes.
SOURCE: Bangkok Post
