Prayut endorses commercial development of U-Tapao airport

[Rimmer]

Prayut endorses commercial development of U-Tapao airport

SATTAHIP:--Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha endorsed plans to develop U-Tapao-Rayong-­Pattaya Airport into a commercial aviation hub during a visit to the Eastern Seaboard, joining a long list of prime ministers who have done the same over the past few decades.

The general, joined by the interior and industry ministers as well as Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak, who heads the economic team, arrived at the Royal Thai Navy-administered airport from Bangkok June 22 to review ongoing redevelopment work as well as ink the agreement for formation of a new Eastern Special Economic Zone encompassing Chonburi, Rayong and Cha­choengsao provinces.

U-Tapao airport long has had minimal commercial air service, but mostly has handled charter flights and served as the base for the navy’s 9th Air Wing. It’s U.S.-built, 3.5-kilometer-long runway also allowed U-Tapao to be a training base for Thai Airways International’s Airbus A380 crews.

A new passenger terminal is under construction to offer 22,000 sq. meters able to support 1,500 passengers daily.

Read more:http://www.pattayamail.com/news/prayut-endorses-commercial-development-u-tapao-airport-140806

-- Pattaya Mail 2016-07-01

[sharecropper]

So the public fund the development and expansion of this airport through taxes, but the Navy owns it.

So who gets the operating profits?

Edited July 1, 2016 by sharecropper

[KhunBENQ]

A new passenger terminal is under construction to offer 22,000 sq. meters able to support 1,500 passengers daily.

1500 daily?

Less than most provincial airports handle today.

I am not impressed.

[Chang_paarp]

A new passenger terminal is under construction to offer 22,000 sq. meters able to support 1,500 passengers daily.

1500 daily?

Less than most provincial airports handle today.

I am not impressed.

I'm guessing that this is an example of no proof reading. Either the writer left a 0 off the end of the number or they confused the current passenger numbers with the planned number.

[bangon04]

So the public fund the development and expansion of this airport through taxes, but the Navy owns it.

So who gets the operating profits?

Just trying to recall who built the base in 1965 at the start of the Vietnam War... it wasn't the Thai air force which paid for it, was it?

[manarak]

the development of Utapao is not a bad thing - they just need to create long haul routes and organize buses to Pattaya

[sanukjim]

Why not use it for comerical airlines because after the American military left there have been no "Real" military airplanes operating thre.

[gandalf12]

So the public fund the development and expansion of this airport through taxes, but the Navy owns it.

So who gets the operating profits?

You have one guess. The people getting the profit has a 4 letter name beginning with the letter N and ending in the letter Y. It is a difficult one I know but it will give you something to mull over when you are bored

[masuk]

So the public fund the development and expansion of this airport through taxes, but the Navy owns it.

So who gets the operating profits?

Just trying to recall who built the base in 1965 at the start of the Vietnam War... it wasn't the Thai air force which paid for it, was it?

What type of aircraft would have been using this in 1965, if an extension is required for today's passenger aircraft?

[LennyW]

So the public fund the development and expansion of this airport through taxes, but the Navy owns it.

So who gets the operating profits?

Just trying to recall who built the base in 1965 at the start of the Vietnam War... it wasn't the Thai air force which paid for it, was it?

What type of aircraft would have been using this in 1965, if an extension is required for today's passenger aircraft?

An extension is not required for the runway, the extension is in the form of an additional terminal which is badly needed.

[Rimmer]

So the public fund the development and expansion of this airport through taxes, but the Navy owns it.

So who gets the operating profits?

Just trying to recall who built the base in 1965 at the start of the Vietnam War... it wasn't the Thai air force which paid for it, was it?

What type of aircraft would have been using this in 1965, if an extension is required for today's passenger aircraft?

I suspect it it not the runway that is being extended but the passenger facilities

U-Tapao was constructed by the US Air force as a base for KC135 tankers it was later decided to base B52 bombers there, the runway is one of the longest at 11,500-foot (3,505 m) and was opened in July 1966

[masuk]

So the public fund the development and expansion of this airport through taxes, but the Navy owns it.

So who gets the operating profits?

Just trying to recall who built the base in 1965 at the start of the Vietnam War... it wasn't the Thai air force which paid for it, was it?

What type of aircraft would have been using this in 1965, if an extension is required for today's passenger aircraft?

I suspect it it not the runway that is being extended but the passenger facilities

U-Tapao was constructed by the US Air force as a base for KC135 tankers it was later decided to base B52 bombers there, the runway is one of the longest at 11,500-foot (3,505 m) and was opened in July 1966

That's what I guessed. So is the story correct that the present runway is not long enough? Of course it makes sense if it's the terminal which needs upgrading.

[sanukjim]

So the public fund the development and expansion of this airport through taxes, but the Navy owns it.

So who gets the operating profits?

Just trying to recall who built the base in 1965 at the start of the Vietnam War... it wasn't the Thai air force which paid for it, was it?

What type of aircraft would have been using this in 1965, if an extension is required for today's passenger aircraft?

B52s flew bombing raids out of their