Addressing queues at Suvarnabhumi Airport is a priority
Long delays at immigration control and baggage claim remain a serious problem for Thailand's largest airport, Suvarnabhumi, located in the capital Bangkok. This is a growing concern for the country's leadership. Despite earlier attempts to optimize the airport's operations, the Kingdom's Prime Minister Settha Thavisin remains extremely unhappy with the situation.
In an effort to personally assess the extent of the problem, the prime minister made two unscheduled visits to Suvarnabhumi Airport. During his most recent visit on February 24, he tracked in detail the time it took passengers to go through various procedures, from disembarkation to immigration control. The data collected showed unacceptably high delays.
The alarming results of the inspection prompted Settha Thavisin to demand that the relevant agencies immediately step up efforts to resolve the problem. He called on the Airports of Thailand Aviation Company and the Immigration Service to jointly examine the system's operation during peak hours and find effective ways to optimize processes. The prime minister announced plans to conduct a further audit in the near future.
Modernizing aviation infrastructure to strengthen the hub
Realizing the importance of developing the aviation sector to strengthen Thailand's status as a regional transportation hub, the Government has developed a major plan to modernize airports and related infrastructure. The program is expected to start as early as next month.
One of its key elements will be the construction of a new runway at Suvarnabhumi Airport. Airports of Thailand will invest 44 billion baht (about $1.3 billion) in this and other projects to expand the country's main air gateway. The additional funds will be invested in the third phase of the development of Donmyang International Airport near Bangkok.
The program plans to increase the capacity of Suvarnabhumi's Terminal 1 from the current 50 to 120 flights per day over the next two months, and to 400 flights daily by the end of the year. In addition, the East Expansion project will be implemented to expand the passenger terminal to serve an additional 15 million people annually.
Dramatic renovation of Dong Muang Airport
A significant investment of 36 billion baht (about US$1.1 billion) will be invested in the third phase of the Donmyang International Airport development. This large-scale project involves the construction of a new international terminal and the complete reconstruction of the existing passenger building No. 1.
Once completed, the total capacity of Dong Muang Airport will increase from the current 30 million to 50 million passengers annually. Such a significant expansion will significantly relieve the main Suvarnabhumi Airport and improve the efficiency of Thailand's aviation system as a whole.
Bidding for the Donmyang air harbor modernization project is due to start later this year. The move will complement the nationwide aviation infrastructure improvement program designed to strengthen the Kingdom's position as the region's largest transportation hub.
Thus, the Thai authorities are taking comprehensive measures to address the current problems of airports, including the renovation of existing facilities and the construction of new facilities. It is expected that the implementation of the announced plans will radically improve the level of passenger service and open up additional opportunities for the development of the tourism industry - one of the key to the country's economy.
Author of the article: Ekaterina Antonova
