BANGKOK: The three-phase development plan for Don Mueang International Airport, which includes the construction of a new terminal, would expand capacity to accommodate 50 million passengers a year, Kerati Kijmanawat, president of Airports of Thailand Plc (AOT), said.
The 36.829-billion-baht project is one of the key initiatives of AOT to enhance the airport's capacity for domestic and international travel and transport, in line with the Don Mueang Airport Master Plan, he said.
Phase 1 will increase Don Mueang Airport’s capacity to accommodate 18.5 million passengers per year by upgrading existing infrastructure and facilities.
In phase 2, the airport would be expanded to handle 30 million passengers per year by further developing the infrastructure and facilities established in Phase 1.
Phase 3 would further enhance the airport's capability to handle the growing number of domestic and international passengers, enabling it to support an average of 50 flights per hour, he said.
Kerati is set to preside over the second public hearing on the surveys and designs for the Don Mueang Airport Development Project Phase 3 on May 28. The goal is to complete the project details and open the bidding process by early 2025, he said.
As per the initial plan, AOT would expedite the construction of the first part of the project, which is a new passenger terminal, known as Terminal 3, to accommodate international passengers, he said.
This new terminal will add approximately 140,000 square metres of space. Construction is expected to begin in 2025, with an estimated completion time of three years, and the terminal is projected to be operational by 2028.
“This new terminal will increase the airport's capacity by an additional 15 million passengers, raising the total capacity from the current 30 million passengers per year to a maximum handling capacity of up to 50 million passengers per year,” Kerati said.
Work in phase 3 would cover the construction of Terminal 3 along with concourse No. 6, and the renovation of the seven-storey car park building into a pick-up and drop-off platform for passengers; renovation of the northern aircraft hangars, the construction of airline offices and a VVIP lounge; building the northern aircraft parking apron with connecting taxiways; renovation of Terminal 1 and the northern concourse No. 2–4. - The Nation/ANN
