PHOTO: Chiang Rai Airport – mychiangmaitravel.com
Chiang Rai’s International Airport isn’t slated for closure, in accordance with Thailand’s Transport Minister. The comment came after Airports of Thailand’s president announced on Monday October 28 that AOT was ‘considering’ closing Chiang Rai and Hat Yai airports, throwing media, and the workers at the two airports, into a spin.
The minister has informed The Nation that AOT “has no plans to shut or downgrade any airport in Thailand, including these in Chiang Rai and Hat Yai.” He says there is not a change to the planned expansion of six airports.
The press reports regarding the deliberate closure of Hat Yai International Airport in Songkhla province and Chiang Rai International Airport have been “just misinterpretation,” AOT’s president told The Nation, including that the actual message is that the high-speed prepare venture would possibly lead to fewer travellers for each airports.
“ Elusive will draw up a versatile plan to take care of the event.”
Passenger numbers at most airports, besides Chiang Rai International Airport, are far above capacity. The Chiang Mai Airport serves eleven.32 million travellers annually despite capacity of just 8 million, and Phuket Airport, with capability of 12.5 million, is struggling now with 17.eighty five million, and growing. Hat Yai Airport is serving 4.03 million passengers a yr, and has simply 2.5 million in capacity.
More than 64 million individuals have handed through Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport thus far this yr, with a capacity of 45 million, and its secondary Dong Mueang Airport has served over 41 million despite capability of solely 30 million.
Chiang Rai’s airport is doing better with 2.95 million, a bit below its full current capacity of 3 million pax. These six airports have a combined complete capacity of one hundred and one million passengers, which is expected to rise to 186 million by 2024, according to the transport minister, who additionally mentioned that he has requested that AOT collaborate with relevant organisations to improve the immigration course of, using electronic e-visas to minimize density at checkpoints, providing comfort for vacationers and enhanced efficiency.
SOURCE: Chiang Rai Times