Ten airlines have expressed interest in using the Satellite One (SAT-1) terminal at Suvarnabhumi Airport once it opens for testing on Friday, according to the Airports of Thailand (AOT).
Now that Thailand has canceled visa fees, the terminal is being opened just in time for the anticipated rise in Chinese travelers.
The number of flights to and from China are anticipated to increase by 300, and there should be an increase of around 620,000 passengers per month as a result of the waiver.
By early 2024, AOT also intends to start the 7.8 billion baht second phase of Suvarnabhumi Airport expansion. The first stage will be to start a bid process for the satellite terminal’s luggage conveyor system.
After a Friday soft opening, the SAT-1 terminal will begin offering services. The Covid-19 epidemic delayed the terminal’s opening from its initial 2021 date.
Now that King Power-related problems have been resolved, the commercial portion of the terminal is 70% finished.
On Tuesday, AOT CEO Kirati Kitmanawat said that SAT-1 is now prepared to handle all incoming passengers. The new terminal comprises 28 additional aircraft parking stands and expands the passenger handling space by 216,000 square meters. The project will increase the airport’s annual passenger capacity from 45 million to 60 million.
After SAT-1’s initial one-month trial run, AOT anticipates that it will be fully operational.
Thai AirAsia X and Thai Vietjet will also use the terminal during the testing period.
Flight XJ 0761 of Thai AirAsia X will depart for Shanghai on Friday from the SAT-1 terminal. For the first week of service, the airline has 14 flights planned to and from SAT-1 per day.
Thai VietJet will be operating four flights per day from the terminal.
AOT is actively discussing SAT-1 package agreements with 10 additional airlines in addition to these two, including Emirates, Etihad Airways, All Nippon Airways, Qatar Airways, Mahan Air, and Thai Airways.
Incentives include providing discounts on ground services, office leasing fees, and bridge tolls are also being investigated by AOT. Proposals are likely to be presented to the board of AOT within a month.
Separately, the six Thai airports under AOT’s management have started to recover, with passenger arrivals now at 70% of pre-Covid levels. While the Chinese market hasn’t fully recovered, imports from the European, American, and Central Asian sectors are primarily responsible for this.
Meanwhile, domestic numbers have now recovered to 100%.
AOT anticipates that its six airports will serve 100 million passengers in fiscal 2023 and 150 million in fiscal 2024, above the pre-Covid figure of 142 million in 2019.
In 2023, it is anticipated that Suvarnabhumi Airport alone will serve 40 million travelers, and that number will rise to 60 million in 2024.
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