The bold plans to overhaul airport in popular tourist spot and become a leading aviation hub (Image: Getty)
An airport at a popular destination among Brit tourists is set for a major revamp. An estimated 36.1 million tourists flock to Thailand, hailed as the ultimate sun-drenched getaway. As such, this country’s airport is set for a significant £4 billion overhaul that includes plans to expand its capacity of around 150 million passengers by 2030.
The Airports of Thailand Company Limited (AoT) has recently approved this new master plan for airport as it attempts to scale up its annual capacity. The revamp of Suvarnabhumi International Airport is part of Thailand’s bold initiative to help transform the into a global aviation hub and to be ranked among the top 20 worldwide.
Thailand’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport, which became popular thanks to the hit show , will also get a new South Terminal and a fourth runway.
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Suvarnabhumi International Airport is set to add capacity through a runway development (Image: Getty)
Suvarnabhumi International Airport is set to add capacity through a runway development, including plans to expand South and West terminals.
According to The Nation, the South Terminal is set to be larger than the current Main Terminal, increasing passenger capacity by 70 million annually.
The project also includes the construction of a fourth runway, which is set to be completed by 2031.
The AoT President Kirati Kitmanawat said: “The Suvarnabhumi International Airport currently has a problem with the main terminal building because there is not enough space for parking and picking up and dropping off passengers in front of the building.”
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The Don Mueang Airport upgrade looks to expand capacity from 30 million to 40 million passengers (Image: Getty)
Kitmanawat explained that the new South Terminal design phase would take around four and a half years to build.
He added that the fourth runway will take approximately four years to complete, and the airport’s existing facilities will also be renovated.
Thailand’s positioning itself at the forefront when it comes to aviation does not stop there; a number of other airports in the country are set for a revamp.
These include an upgraded Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok Ban Chang and U-Tapao Airport in Rayong.
The Don Mueang Airport upgrade looks to expand capacity from 30 million to 40 million passengers per year and will include a new international terminal and also renovations to existing facilities.
The upgraded U-Tapao Airport is also set to rival other airports and turn it into a major aviation hub, with construction commencing in early 2025 and the first phase of construction aiming to accommodate 12 million passengers by 2028.
Plans also include expanding regional airports in Thailand, including Phuket and Chiang Mai airports, with two new airports set to be built, including the Andaman Airport and the Lanna Airport.
AOT also plans to build six new regional airports in the hopes of improving connectivity across the country.