Airports of Thailand aiming high with airport plans
Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi eyes top global ranking
Tourists arrive the Suvarnabhumi airport passenger terminal. The Airports of Thailand (AoT) has outlined an expansion of its six
Airports of Thailand (AOT) has outlined an expansion of its six international airports to manage 210 million passengers by 2032.
Kerati Kijmanawat, AOT director, on Friday outlined the Ministry of Transport’s strategic plan for 2023-2027, which aims to make Thailand a regional aviation hub.
As part of that, he said that Suvarnabhumi International Airport aims to have 120 million passengers by 2030, while Don Mueang International Airport expects to reach 40 million in the same year. Chiang Mai International Airport will serve 20 million passengers by 2032, Phuket International Airport will handle 18 million passengers by 2028, and Mae Fah Luang Chiang Rai International Airport and Krabi International Airport will each serve 6 million passengers by 2032.
Mr Kerati said that Suvarnabhumi airport was once listed among the top 10 best airports globally, but its ranking has dropped, with Skytrax ranking it at 58th this year.
He said this was due to the lack of facilities compared to other airports, such as Singapore, Tokyo, Istanbul, and Paris.
He said that the AOT aims to bring Suvarnabhumi back into the top 20 best airports in the world with a plan that is divided into three phases. The first phase (2025-2027) aims to increase the airport’s efficiency, establish it as a leader in airport services within the second phase (2028–2032), and rank among the top airport operators globally by 2037 within the third phase.
As part of this, AOT plans to procure new technology to reduce international passenger processing times, cutting the arrival process from 30 minutes to 25 minutes or 17% faster and the departure process from 45 minutes to 30 minutes or 33% quicker, he said.
Mr Kerati also said the construction of the new South Terminal at Suvarnabhumi airport will proceed according to its master plan with a budget of 120 billion baht. The design of the South Terminal will take about 14 months.
Construction will begin in early 2027 and take four and a half years to finish. The new terminal will accommodate 70 million passengers.
The terminal will improve access from the south via Bang Na-Trat Road and connect to the Bang Na-Chon Buri Expressway for convenience.
The airport will also have its fourth runway built on the eastern side. It will take about 10 months for the design. Bidding for the construction is expected in early 2027, he said.
He noted that AOT will also submit its plan to expand the East Terminal and the West Terminal to handle more passengers in the future.
Source: https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2860868/aot-aiming-high-with-airport-plans