AOT announces 4.4bn baht plan to boost Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports
Airports of Thailand (AOT) revealed an ambitious investment plan of 4.4 billion baht for enhancements at Suvarnabhumi International Airport and Don Mueang International Airport.
These plans were made public by AOT Deputy Director Keerati Kitmanawat, who shared the vision of increasing service and security standards at Suvarnabhumi Airport to meet the passenger traffic that is expected to bounce back to 2019’s pre-pandemic numbers of 65 million.
The primary focus is to augment the flight capacity at Suvarnabhumi’s satellite terminal 1 (SAT-1) from the existing 50 flights per day to 120 within the ensuing 60 days, with an ultimate aim to reach a capacity of 400 flights per day by the end of the year. This enlargement is predicted to not only offer increased convenience for passengers but also to attract more vendors looking to set up commercial operations within the airport.
In addition to this, AOT has laid out plans for the East Expansion project at Suvarnabhumi Airport. The project, which is slated to commence bidding in May, will see the eastern passenger building being expanded to accommodate an additional 15 million passengers each year. The project has been allocated a budget of 8 billion baht.
The development of Don Mueang International Airport is also on AOT’s agenda. An investment of 36 billion baht has been set aside for the third phase of the airport’s development. This phase encompasses the construction of a new international passenger terminal and a renovation of passenger building 1. The goal behind this upgrade is to increase the airport’s passenger handling capacity from 30 million up to 50 million passengers annually, reported Pattaya News.
In related news, envisioned as a direct long-haul flight hub, AOT is fast-tracking the construction of the much-anticipated Andaman International Airport.
In a recent visit, Transport Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit inspected the airport’s progress in Phang Nga province, initiating transformative steps to bolster local transport infrastructure. The Andaman International Airport, currently in its second stage of development, is strategically crafted to complement Phuket Airport.
