Phuket Airport is set to invest 6 billion baht in constructing a new terminal for international flights to enhance its capacity from 12.5 million passengers annually to 18 million, in response to the growing need for expansion as expressed by Airport Director Monchai Tanod.
The airport witnessed around 16,000 domestic passengers daily last month, marking 90% of pre-Covid-19 levels. International arrivals and departures averaged 22,000 per day, surpassing 2019’s pre-pandemic figures by 7%, according to Mr. Monchai. He anticipates that this year’s total passengers passing through the airport will not be less than the 18 million seen in 2019.
The new terminal’s design is currently in progress and is expected to be submitted for approval by the National Environment Board once completed this year. Construction is slated to commence in 2026 and is projected to take approximately three years to finish. The budget of 6 billion baht has been allocated by the Airports of Thailand for this expansion project.
Furthermore, Mr. Monchai discussed the airport’s long-term strategy to construct a specialized terminal for seaplanes. In a separate development, Nutthajit Oonsiem, director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s marketing team covering Asean, South Asia, and South Pacific regions, was part of the welcome ceremony held in collaboration with TAT offices in New Delhi and Phuket for the inaugural SG89 flight by Spice Jet. The airline’s direct daily flight from New Delhi to Phuket, operated using an Airbus A320 Neo aircraft accommodating up to 180 passengers, signifies a significant step in facilitating travel between the two destinations.
Thailand is expected to host approximately 2 million Indian visitors this year, resulting in tourism revenues of at least 79 billion baht, as reported by the TAT. Mr. Monchai noted that Indians rank as the third largest group of arrivals at Phuket Airport.
