Transport Minister checks Ubon Ratchathani airport expansion plan

Transport Minister checks Ubon Ratchathani airport expansion plan

UBON RATCHATHANI, 23 July 2018 (NNT) – The Transport Minister, Arkhom Termpittayapaisith, inspected the operations at Ubon Ratchathani International Airport, acknowledging the expansion plan to accommodate more than five million additional passengers annually. 

Mr. Arkhom on Sunday (July 22nd) led a group of officials to observe the operations at Ubon Ratchathani International Airport ahead of the upcoming mobile cabinet meeting. 

The group of officials observed the airport's readiness to serve passengers, electrical and illumination systems, parking spaces, taxi service points, and renovation plans. 

The Director of Ubon Ratchathani International Airport, Kitichai Sutchalak, said the Department of Airports plans to renovate the airport in 2019-2020. The renovation plan covers the expansion of existing passenger terminal, improving the electrical systems, renovating the runway, enhancing security measures. It also includes the construction of a new passenger terminal, which can accommodate 2,000 passengers per hour or over five million annually. 

Under the plan, there will be the construction of new a parking space with a capacity of accommodating more than 500 cars. Meanwhile, the airport’s apron expansion plan, which will start from 2022 to 2024, will allow the airport to accommodate 10 Boeing 737 aircrafts at a time. 

Ubon Ratchathani International Airport is currently capable of serving only five Boeing 737 aircrafts simultaneously, with 40 flight slots available each day. The airport, which also serves passengers from Sisaket, Yasothon, Amnat Charoen, and southern Laos, can currently accommodate 2.88 million passengers annually.

 

-- nnt 2018-07-23