12 billion baht expansion of Chiang Mai airport approved

BANGKOK:-- Plans to expand Chiang Mai airport have been approved by the Airports of Thailand Plc (AOT) board.

The expansion, which will cost 12 billion baht and will take 15 years to complete, will significantly increase the airport’s capacity.

Once completed, Chiang Mai airport will be able to serve 20 million passengers annually, a big increase from its current capacity of 12 million passengers, AOT’s chairman Prasong Poontaneat explained on Wednesday.

The 20 million passenger capacity should be sufficient until 2030, he said.

The project will be completed in two phases.

The first phase, which will be completed by 2025, is the largest part of the project costing 11 billion baht.

This will include the expansion of runways, taxiways, airport terminals, a new fire station and water treatment works.

Once completed, 34 flights per hour will be able to land at the airport, which will then be able to handle 18 million passengers annually.

The second phase of the expansion, which will take place between 2026 and 2030, will see the airport raise its capacity to 20 million passengers, consisting of 8 million international arrivals and 12 million passengers from domestic flights.

Mr Prasong revealed that passenger traffic at Chiang Mai airport is increasing and that the airport serve 8.3 million people in 2015.

Source: Tnamcot

-- 2016-05-25

It is 2016 and the expansion will take 15 years to complete. The project should be completed by 2031 it seems and it will enable 20,000,000 passenger capacity per annum.

The airport is expected to be handling 20,000,000 passengers per annum by 2030 so it look like the plan is to expand the airport to below projected capacity.

Interesting.

Still it may keep rumors of a new airport going...

Yes tourism improvements does pry open their purse.

Is there any mention of increasing the Car Park capacity as the current capacity is not enough at peak hours?

...AOT...big cash cow....and an entity unto itself.....

...many people must be celebrating.....

...nauseating....

34 landings an hour means 34 take offs an hour. That's 68 movements as they are called per hour.

Take a look at figures from Heathrow , and I think it may be a bit bigger than ChiangMai.

Don't know how to work out ChiangMai's figures. Are they based on 24 hours or working day and close down at night.

Just seems strange.

Thailand take it for granted that tourism will grow exponentially every year. Once some of the neighboring SE countries get their acts together, tourism IMHO will taper off, leaving the Thais scratching their heads and saying mai khao chai, where have all the farang gone...

F*** THIS...if anyone to build a new airport it won't take 15 years.How about giving me the project and complete it in 3 years MAX. ..Yes yes will pay 5% coffee money?????no wollies

Hardly can see the buildings in the background because of the smog, pretty soon that will catch on as well and gone is the appeal to be in Chiang mai.

If I recall LHR used to have 1 every minute , that was few years ago.I am not going to take my calc out of my head now i need ro lilacs

I was in CNX couple of years ago(Jan14) looking at biz opps and saw the streets empty.Well am heading there August 27th and will see the difference.

Hope that 12-billion budget includes the giant fans to blow away the blinding smog for four months of the year, so they can land.

The 20 million passenger capacity should be sufficient until 2030, he said.

And that capacity will be reached in 15 years when the construction is done, which is 2031.

Is that a way of already letting everyone know there will be delays and long lines for the coming 16 years?

Plenty of feed in the trough now.

Thailand take it for granted that tourism will grow exponentially every year. Once some of the neighboring SE countries get their acts together, tourism IMHO will taper off, leaving the Thais scratching their heads and saying mai khao chai, where have all the farang gone...

Not to nitpick, just taking you at your word. Tourism isn't growing "exponentially." That would mean 1000% growth during whatever defined period (a year presumably). Do you mean "incrementally"?

At full capacity the airport will be handling a flight every 2 minutes. Pity anyone who owns a house in Hangdong or Nimmanheman. Better get used to wearing ear plugs or move out of the city.