Krabi airport to double passenger capacity with new terminal
Krabi airport is planning to double its passenger handling capacity with a third terminal expected to open by October. The move is planned alongside the reopening of Thailand to international tourists. A new runway is also being built, costing almost 942 million baht. The Department of Aviation says the runway is expected to be completed on time and will increase the amount of aircrafts that can be held per hour from 8 to 24.
The terminal is expected to hold around 3,000 people per hour, doubling its current holding power of 1,500 people. Along with a new terminal, officials say a new car park is being built, featuring space for 2,700 vehicles.
The DOA says it is confident that the local aviation industry will continue to recover in the months leading up to Thailand’s expected reopening, citing the rollout of the Covid-19 vaccination programme as a major contributing factor in its recovery. Currently, there are now 120 round – trip flights being operated daily – a number that is double the amount of when the airline industry hit its lowest point during the Covid pandemic.
Meanwhile, tourism officials are working on what they’re calling the “sandbox,” a new pilot programme to reopen Phuket and other destinations by the Andaman Sea to foreign visitors. The sandbox is like the “travel bubble” idea and would allow quarantine-free travel to certain areas.
The sandbox model depends on how many people are vaccinated against Covid-19, with part of the reopening plan to include vaccinating at least 300,000 residents to achieve herd immunity. Koh Samui is also joining the scheme, expecting to reopen without the need to undergo quarantine for those vaccinated tourists.
SOURCE: The Phuket News
