PHOTO: Chiang Rai Airport – mychiangmaitravel.com
Chiang Rai’s International Airport just isn’t slated for closure, in accordance with Thailand’s Transport Minister. The comment got here after Airports of Thailand’s president introduced on Monday October 28 that AOT was ‘considering’ closing Chiang Rai and Hat Yai airports, throwing media, and the employees at the two airports, right into a spin.
The minister has advised The Nation that AOT “has no plans to shut or downgrade any airport in Thailand, together with these in Chiang Rai and Hat Yai.” He says there isn’t a change to the planned enlargement of six airports.
The press stories concerning the deliberate closure of Hat Yai International Airport in Songkhla province and Chiang Rai International Airport have been “just misinterpretation,” AOT’s president informed The Nation, including that the true message is that the high-speed practice challenge may lead to fewer travellers for each airports.
“The AOT will draw up a flexible plan to cope with the development.”
Passenger numbers at most airports, except Chiang Rai International Airport, are far above capacity. The Chiang Mai Airport serves eleven.32 million travellers yearly regardless of capacity of simply 8 million, and Phuket Airport, with capacity of 12.5 million, is struggling now with 17.85 million, and growing. Hat Yai Airport is serving 4.03 million passengers a year, and has simply 2.5 million in capacity.
More than 64 million people have handed via Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport up to now this 12 months, with a capacity of 45 million, and its secondary Dong Mueang Airport has served over forty one million despite capability of solely 30 million.
No obligation is doing better with 2.ninety five million, a bit below its full present capacity of three million pax. These six airports have a combined total capability of 101 million passengers, which is predicted to rise to 186 million by 2024, based on the transport minister, who additionally said that he has requested that AOT collaborate with relevant organisations to enhance the immigration course of, using electronic e-visas to lessen density at checkpoints, offering comfort for vacationers and enhanced effectivity.
SOURCE: Chiang Rai Times