Suvarnabhumi Airport’s management has signed a contract with three companies to expand the hub’s current capacity of 45 million passengers per year to 60 million.
Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Somkid Jatusripitak chaired the signing of the contracts to further develop Suvarnabhumi Airport using funding from the government’s 2011-2017 budgets, said a report by state-run news agency NNT.
The expansion will include a new airplane parking structure, a connecting tunnel in the airport’s south, and new utilities. The contractors tasked to do these undertakings are Italian Thai Development PLC, SG and Interlink, and SCS Consortium.
Somkid explained that the second phase of the expansion project is in line with plans to enhance the airport’s status as an international travel hub.
Last month, the airport’s operator, Airports of Thailand (AOT), announced immediate plans to develop six of Thailand’s main international airports to accommodate the growing tourism sector.
AOT president Nitinai Sirismatthakarn said the master plan calls for the development and expansion of the six airports over 10 years with a budget of THB200 billion (US$5.7 billion)
The six are Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Mae Fah Luang Chiang Rai, and Hat Yai.
He added that the first five years under the plan involve the second phase of expansion at Suvarnabhumi and the third phase of renovation at Don Mueang.
The second phase of development at Suvarnabhumi will begin this month and is scheduled for completion in 2019.
The Don Mueang International Airport project seeks to renovate the existing passenger terminals and roads around the airport, while building 12 more airport aprons.
Nitinai said he expects that once the project is completed in 2022, Don Mueang will be able to welcome an additional 40 million passengers each year.
Photo: Nutjaru
