File photo: Runway 3 at Suvarnabhumi Airport
Thailand’s airports will be able to handle up to one million flights per year when the third runway at the Suvarnabhumi airport opens for full operations next year, Deputy Transport Minister Manaporn Charoensri said.
Manaporn paid a visit to the Aeronautical Radio of Thailand Company, which is responsible for air traffic control in Thailand, to see the company’s readiness to cope with the increased traffic next year.
In the 2024 fiscal year, which began last October, Thailand’s airports handled 836,513 flights, 16% more than last year.
Suvarnabhumi airport handled 348,980 flights, or an average of 950 flights a day, which is close to pre-COVID pandemic levels.
Manaporn said that the increased capacity of Thai airports, Suvarnabhumi in particular, is vital to the achieving the goals of transforming Thailand into the regional aviation hub and the accommodation of more foreign tourists.
Aeronautical Radio of Thailand CEO Noppasit Chakphitak said that, in the past five years, the company has been preparing their air navigation and air traffic management systems, instrument flight rule (IFR) procedures and safety risk assessments, to cope with the increased traffic generated by the expansion of airports.
He said that, when the third runway at Suvarnabhumi airport is fully operational, the airport’s aircraft movement capacity will increase from 68 to 94 per hour.
He also said that the taxi distance between the runway exits and the gates will be reduced, to save fuel and to facilitate faster disembarkation of passengers.
