Thomas Latt
Monday 08th June 2015
Third airport for Bangkok planned
Bangkok is to get its third commercial airport,
after the Thai military government agreed to redevelop a naval air base
in Rayong province.
The U-Tapao air base will be developed in
multiple stages starting with the construction of a new passenger
terminal, taxiways and aircraft parking bays in 2016.
The government said it expects the airport to officially open for commercial flights in 2017.
Currently
able to accommodate up to 800,000 passengers a year, upgrades will
enable it to handle up to five million passenger movements a year by
2020.
Transport Minister Prajin Juntong said it would continue to serve military air traffic alongside commercial flights.
The
airport is within a one hour drive of the beach resort city of Pattaya,
and a new highway will be constructed to speed up travel to and from
the airport.
U-Tapao currently handles charter flights from
Russia and China, but would eventually be developed as a low cost
carrier hub, Prajin said.
Budget carrier AirAsia recently
announced it would start flying to U-Tapao from its Kuala Lumpur hub and
has expressed interest in expanding international routes from the
airport.
"We already have a strong base in China and Chinese
tourists like coming to Pattaya for holidays, so it makes sense for us
to set up a new air link at U-Tapao," Thai AirAsia commercial director
Santisuk Klongchaiya said.
U-Tapao was previously used as a US air base during the Vietnam War.
~ AATO ~