Thai government approves expansion of Phuket airport

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Airports of Thailand (AoT) has approved Phuket International Airport plans for a 5.79-billion-baht expansion, which would see the facility’s passenger-handling capacity double by 2013, reaching 12.5 million annually.

The expansion is meant to address the over-crowded conditions at the country’s second-busiest airport, and prepare for the anticipated rise in visitor numbers in the next decade.

Approval of the project by Thailand’s National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) is also required, although that is not expected to be a problem.

According to figures from the AoT, in 2008, Phuket International Airport saw 5.73 million passengers.

During the first four months of this year, passenger traffic declined due to the global economic downturn and political turmoil in Thailand, shrinking by 13.8 per cent, to 2.09 million with as the number of flights decreased by 17.1 per cent, to 12,939, year-on-year.

Expansion plans call for the construction of a new international passenger terminal, improvements to the existing terminal, the addition of new taxiways and an upgrade of the jet fuelling system. All work is scheduled to begin by late 2010.

A private jet terminal at the airport is also under consideration.

In other news, AoT executives confirmed the appointment of Serirat Prasutanond as president of the state-owned airports operator.

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