Thai Airports Service 74 Million Passengers Last Year

[webfact]

Thai airports service 74 million passengers last year

By Digital Media

BANGKOK, Jan 5 – More than 74 million passengers passed through six airports in Thailand last year, a 12 percent increase from the previous year, the Airports of Thailand (AoT) reported.

Somchai Sawasdeepon, AoT Senior Executive Vice President Engineering and Construction and Acting President, said 46 million passengers were non-Thais while 496,749 flights – 275,422 of them international – landed at the six airports, representing a 10.5 percent growth.

The six airports are Suvarnabhumi, Dong Meaung, Chiang Mai, Hat Yai, Phuket and Chiang Rai.

Suvarnabhumi airport alone received 51.462 million passengers and 312,493 flights last year.

As for the Phase 2 expansion of Suvarnabhumi airport under the 2011-2017 development budget, Mr Somchai said the AoT has already hired a consultant firm, EPM Consortium, to map out conditions for a bid on the design while the winning company should be announced in April.

The designs which will take 10 months, between May and February next year, will involve three major projects: the passenger buildings, public utilities system and construction, he said, adding that the contractors and construction inspectors should be hired in August next year.

Mr Somchai said Phuket airport will have the capacity of servicing 12.5 million passengers when the four-year expansion completes in 2014. Its current service capacity is 6.5 million passengers.

He added that the improvement of Don Meaung airport will include the Terminal 2 passenger building, the concourse building 5, the seven-storey parking building, communications system and public utilities system.

The expansion will boost Don Meaung’s capability to 27.5 million passengers or adequate until 2026, he said. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2013-01-05

[Runrigger]

"Suvarnabhumi airport alone received 51.462 million passengers and 312,493 flights last year."

Excuse me if I am wrong, but that means that 856 flights landed landed every day, one every 1 minute and 40 seconds 24 hours a day, every day for a year ? I find that very hard to believe.

[edwinchester]

"Suvarnabhumi airport alone received 51.462 million passengers and 312,493 flights last year."

Excuse me if I am wrong, but that means that 856 flights landed landed every day, one every 1 minute and 40 seconds 24 hours a day, every day for a year ? I find that very hard to believe.

Probably takeoffs and landings.

Assume a 20 hour day and that works out as a takeoff every 3 minutes.

[tomross46]

The figure of 74 million is understandable. If a plane with 100 passenger goes from DonMuang to Ching Mai, than that is 200 passengers. 100 for DonMuang and 100 for Ching Mai. If you had an international carrier land in Bangkok with 400 passengers, 100 got off and 100 joined the flight, you would have 900 passengers served. Creative accounting.

[Runrigger]

"Suvarnabhumi airport alone received 51.462 million passengers and 312,493 flights last year." Excuse me if I am wrong, but that means that 856 flights landed landed every day, one every 1 minute and 40 seconds 24 hours a day, every day for a year ? I find that very hard to believe.

Probably takeoffs and landings. Assume a 20 hour day and that works out as a takeoff every 3 minutes.

Okay, so not just received as in landings, but received as in came in through the front door for leaving...now I get it !

[Tomtomtom69]

How can Phuket airport's capacity only be 6.5million? Look at the number of flights and airlines that airport receives. I think that there should be a policy of de-centralization away from Bangkok. Many tourists want to go to Phuket and really shouldn't be forced to land in Bangkok first, or only be able to land in Phuket when entering but then forced to travel via Bangkok back home (for example on Thai Airways 2 weekly Copenhagen and Stockholm - Phuket flights, which return via Bangkok). No one wanting to fly from Bangkok to Sydney would first stop over in Melbourne or Perth when there are plenty of direct options so I don't see why everything has to be routed via Bangkok.

Also, I agree with Runrigger - the figures quoted are a little too unbelievable. How can Suvarnabhumi have such a large increase in capacity when Air Asia, an airline that receives about 9-10 million passengers a year and thus one of the largest airlines servicing Thailand moved to Don Muang on the 1st of October, thus immediately dramatically reducing capacity at Suvarnabhumi?

[Soi Dog]

I like the headline. One wonders if they meant the veterinarian meaning of the word "service". Thai airports service 74 million passengers last year

[Nisa]

"Suvarnabhumi airport alone received 51.462 million passengers and 312,493 flights last year."

Excuse me if I am wrong, but that means that 856 flights landed landed every day, one every 1 minute and 40 seconds 24 hours a day, every day for a year ? I find that very hard to believe.

BKK doesn't even rate in the top compared to other airports for take offs and landings but does rate high in total volume of passengers.

Looking at 2010 ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World's_busiest_airports_by_aircraft_movements#2010_final_statistics_.5B2.5D ) BKK didn't even rate in the top 30 for aircraft movement (landing / take off). The 30th busiest was Mexico City with 340,000.

[Bluespunk]

Thai airports service 74 million passengers last year

Jesus, who cares.

[ableguy]

Have seen a bull serve five cows but this is just too much.

[ableguy]

"Suvarnabhumi airport alone received 51.462 million passengers and 312,493 flights last year."

Excuse me if I am wrong, but that means that 856 flights landed landed every day, one every 1 minute and 40 seconds 24 hours a day, every day for a year ? I find that very hard to believe.

perhaps take offs and landings is meant, still you know coming from TAT it will be a crick of sh.....t

[rubl]

"Suvarnabhumi airport alone received 51.462 million passengers and 312,493 flights last year."

Excuse me if I am wrong, but that means that 856 flights landed landed every day, one every 1 minute and 40 seconds 24 hours a day, every day for a year ? I find that very hard to believe.

perhaps take offs and landings is meant, still you know coming from TAT it will be a crick of sh.....t

Wiki which may not be quiet up-to-date has

"With a capacity of handling 76 flight operations per hour, both international and domestic flights will share the airport terminal but will be assigned to different parts of the concourse. In the initial phase of construction, it will be capable of handling 45 million passengers and 3 million tonnes of cargo per year."

http://en.wikipedia....nabhumi_Airport

So, if you felt it was be a wee bit crowded last time you passed, you're probably right

Edited January 5, 2013 by rubl