Airports of Thailand (AoT) is strategizing to enhance Suvarnabhumi Airport with the goal of positioning it among the top 50 global airports by next year and further aiming for a spot in the top 20 by 2028, as shared by AoT director Kirati Kijmanawat.
Kirati mentioned on Tuesday that Suvarnabhumi Airport has climbed to the 58th position in Skytrax’s World’s Best Airport rankings for 2024, up from 68th last year. This improvement is attributed to enhanced services and the inauguration of the satellite terminal 1 (SAT-1), which has augmented the airport’s passenger handling capacity.
The overarching objective of AoT is to propel Suvarnabhumi Airport into the world’s top 50 airports within a year. As per Mr. Kirati, AoT has successfully streamlined the passenger screening process, expedited immigration procedures, and bolstered the immigration police workforce at Suvarnabhumi Airport by adding 200 officers.
Furthermore, AoT plans to introduce 80 auto gates at immigration control by August and incorporate CT scanning technology for luggage checks. It is anticipated that approximately 50% of the current luggage scanners at the airport will be replaced by CT scanners within a year, facilitating passengers to carry liquids, including drinks, onboard.
Mr. Kirati underscored that AoT has been steadily enhancing Suvarnabhumi Airport’s services over the past year, resulting in a decrease in the average time spent by each passenger during the screening process from up to 50 minutes to 37 minutes. This efficiency surpasses the global standard of 45 minutes, although the government aims to further reduce the process time to 30 minutes.
Addressing the congestion at airline check-in counters, one of the primary challenges faced by passengers at Suvarnabhumi, AoT is expediting its East Expansion project. This initiative aims to augment the passenger area by over 60,000 sqm to alleviate congestion at the airport, with the expanded space anticipated to be operational by 2028.
