The board of directors of Airports of Thailand (AOT) has given the greenlight for the construction of the second passenger’s terminal at Suvarnabhumi international airport despite earlier demands from leading architects and engineers for the project to be scrapped.

AOT managing director Nitinai Sirimatthakarn said Wednesday that after the board’s approval of the project, the company would hold a meeting with all the stakeholders in the project, including business operators at the airport to discuss the project in details, such as whether the new terminal should be a stand-alone structure or adjoining with one of the existing concourses.

He said that result of the meeting with the stakeholders would be brought up for discussion with the consortium, DBALP-Nikenseke-EMSMHPM-MSE-ARJ, or the Duangrit group, which won the bid for the construction of the project.

Nitinai said that the project design would have to be readjusted  in accordance with the wish of the majority of the stakeholders but if the adjustment would incur substantial cost increase, a new bid might be held.

Earlier in October, 12 engineering and architecture organizations joined forces to urge Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to scrap the project because they doubted the project was worth the huge investment estimated at 41 billion baht plus another 22 billion baht for the third runway.

They pointed out that since Suvarnabhumi airport would be linked with the two other airports namely Don Meuang and U-tapao with a combined capacity to handle 100-120 million passengers a year via train system, there would be no need for a new passenger’s terminal at Suvarnabhumi airport.