The Minister of Transport, Suriya Jungrungreangkit, addressed concerns raised by various parties regarding subpar ground services, congestion at aircraft bays, and issues with baggage handling systems involving two companies after a meeting with airport service operators on Monday.
During discussions involving THAI and BFS representatives, it was determined that the service quality problems stemmed from inadequate equipment and a shortage of qualified personnel due to frequent staff turnover. In the short term, Suriya proposed that Airports of Thailand Ground Aviation Services (AOTGA) step in to share the workload of ground services, with the consent of the two operators, until suitable replacements for personnel and additional equipment could be arranged.
The meeting also highlighted the challenges stemming from ongoing repair works on taxiways at Suvarnabhumi Airport, resulting in a shortage of available aircraft bays and causing congestion at contact gates connected to the passenger terminal.
To address the aircraft bay shortage, Suriya recommended that airlines make use of bays at the Satellite One (SAT-1) terminal. Additionally, Airports of Thailand (AOT) and ground service operators were instructed to conduct a study on enhancing the baggage handling system at SAT-1 to accommodate increased usage. They are expected to submit their report to the ministry within two weeks.
Currently, the SAT-1 terminal is handling 82 flights per day, with projections to increase usage to 200 per day within the next month.
Finally, Suriya announced that bidding for AOT’s planned third ground service operator will start in April. This initiative aims to further enhance ground service quality at Suvarnabhumi Airport in anticipation of increased passenger traffic and flights, with the goal of positioning it as one of the world’s top 20 international airports and establishing Thailand as a regional aviation hub.
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