!
Latest updates
kiwi Guarantee Book now and get protection against cancelations that would wouldn't get if you booked direct
Chiang Mai's Food Odyssey: Street Eats to Gourmet Feasts
Bangkok Airways to Resurrect Vital Flight Routes to Northern Thailand
Thai Vietjet Air: Exclusive May Offers for FUN Rewards Members
Hua Hin Airport anticipates surge in international flights after expansion
No more flights to Mae Hong Son
Really Cool Airlines to launch in December (Really!)
6 Steps to Grabbing Cheap Flights - DomesticFlightsThailand
Getting Around Bangkok
Koh Lanta: A Hidden Treasure Near Krabi
Sea, Sand, and Surf in Thailand: Top 5 Spots
All news
More travel guides
Thailand PM Wants to Make U-Tapao Third Major International Airport
23rd Jun 2016
Prayut Chan-o-cha, Prime Minster of Thailand revealed his plan to turn U-Tapao Airport into the country’s third major international airport.
General Prayut said that the airport compound will help bring commercial success to U-Tapao by becoming an aviation hub for Southeast Asia. The PM said during an interview that the second terminal on the airport is scheduled for soft opening in August this year, while the grand opening will happen after New Year. The construction is nearly complete.
Airport Director Worapol Tongpricha said the new terminal will increase the airport’s capacity from the current 800,000 passengers to three million passengers per year.
The terminal was built thanks to a 619 million baht investment from the Thai navy, which owns the airport compound. The navy has also allocated 3,000 rai of land (of the 17,000 total rai) for the development of the U-Tapao Airport. According to Admiral Na Arinit, the rest is reserved for military use.
Next is the Regional Aviation Hub
The next phase for the airport is building a regional aviation hub which will become a new maintenance centre. Currently, Thai Airways International runs its own aircraft repair centre at U-Tapao.
This facility can accommodate three planes at one time and, according to General Prayut, this is not enough. He said:
We have to increase this capacity. We must be able to fix the planes of other airlines too.
The hub, authorities believe, will soon become a reality and will bring economic progress for the provinces on the eastern coast of Thailand, particularly Rayong, which is currently the number one ranked when it comes to provincial gross domestic product.
Several airlines, including Thailand-based Thai AirAsia, Bangkok Airways, Kan Airlines and charter airline R Airlines, as well as China Southern are using U-Tapao Airport because of its closer proximity to Pattaya than either Don Muang or Suvarnabhumi airports in Bangkok.
State Railway Building an Additional 6km Track
Meanwhile, the State Railway of Thailand will build an additional 6 kilometres-long track running from the Plu Ta Luang station to U-Tapao in order to serve people catching trains from Pattaya.
This a part of the three-phase development plan for the airport. The first phase will also the airport to increase its capacity to three million passengers per year and will be finished next year. This will be followed by phase two, that will include improving the infrastructure and increasing the capacity to five million passengers per year. The final phase (starting in 2020) will include the study of development plans and determining how U-Tapao can serve the growth of Thai aviation industry.
Categories:
Related Airlines
Related Airports
Related News
AirAsia Super Sale Offers Discounts on Travel
AirAsia Mega Sale starts today
