Alton Aviation Consultancy has suggested that for Thailand to solidify its position as an aviation hub by 2030, the nation needs to promote more extensive domestic travel and foster the integration of various transport modes.
Mabel Kwan, managing director at the consultancy, highlighted that aviation operates within a collaborative ecosystem, necessitating cooperation among various sectors like airlines, airports, passengers, ground handling services, and connecting transport facilities.
In addition to the expansion plans for Bangkok’s two major airports and the establishment of new airports in Chiang Mai and Phuket, the government has committed to exploring the viability of airports in secondary provinces.
Ms. Kwan emphasized the significance of Thailand prioritizing multimodal development, ensuring seamless connectivity among roads, railways, and airports. Roads and railways act as crucial links for ferrying passengers from nearby cities to airports.
Unlike Singapore, Thailand possesses substantial opportunities driven by its sizable population to bolster domestic and origin-destination travel, not solely relying on transfer traffic, she noted.
Ms. Kwan pointed out that despite capturing more international transit traffic not being mandatory to establish an aviation hub, a robust domestic travel network akin to China and India is pivotal, especially with connectivity to international gateways.
While highlighting the necessity of an international hub like Suvarnabhumi Airport for consolidating international air traffic flow before distributing passengers to domestic destinations, Ms. Kwan underscored the importance of initially focusing on elevating domestic travel within Thailand, gradually expanding into short-haul and long-haul destinations based on income levels and economic progress.
To facilitate new airport development, Ms. Kwan recommended evaluating local demand and tourism perspectives to determine the appropriate scale of airports and the aircraft types they should accommodate. Additionally, she suggested considering roads or railways as viable alternatives in certain locations.
Alton Aviation’s report projected the Asia-Pacific region to drive global aviation growth, with the industry showcasing resilience and evolving positively post-pandemic. Despite challenges like aircraft delivery delays, supply chain disruptions, labor shortages, and expense management concerns amidst elevated interest rates, the report forecasted a 0.5% net profit margin for airlines this year – a notable improvement signifying a potential recovery in the aviation sector.
