A proposal for a new airport in Phang Nga, which may probably surpass Phuket as the south’s aviation hub, shall be presented to the new prime minister by tourism operators in the Andaman provinces. The president of the Tourism Council of Phang Nga, Pongsakorn Ketprapakorn, shared that the new airport’s necessity stems from the speedy progress in tourist demand for the south post-pandemic and the fact that expansion at Phuket airports has reached its restrict.
“The restoration of tourism in Phang Nga has reached 70% of the level in 2019. Some hotels have already got full bookings for the upcoming excessive season. Provinces along the Andaman coast need a new airport to accommodate the stronger passenger move in the close to future.”
The council is about to satisfy new Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin at present to debate the proposal. Pongsakorn urged the government to fee Airports of Thailand (AoT) to carry out a feasibility research and environmental influence assessment promptly, as setting up an airport is a lengthy process.
According to a earlier study, the proposed airport in Phang Nga might host Thailand’s longest runway, able to accommodating massive aircraft such because the Boeing 747 and Airbus A380, a feat not attainable at the Phuket Airport as a outcome of physical restrictions. Pongsakorn additionally identified that the brand new airport might cater to up to 25 million passengers annually, significantly greater than Phuket’s 12.5 million.
To join Prize with the three Andaman provinces, an electrical bus challenge, able to transporting passengers to Phuket within an hour and Krabi inside two hours, can be proposed by the council.
Pongsakorn highlighted that Phang Nga is house to one hundred fifty hotels with 17,000 rooms, and the proposed airport could entice more funding to the province. However, tourism operators favour an airport owned and developed by AoT, versus granting a concession to the private sector.
Thaneth Tantipiriyakij, president of the Phuket Tourist Association, confirmed that Prime Minister Srettha pledged to speed up the development of the model new airport in Phang Nga during a meeting with tourism operators in Phuket.
Santisuk Klongchaiya, chief executive of Thai AirAsia, expressed his perception in Phang Nga’s potential to build a model new airport and absorb passengers from Phuket Airport due to the proximity of the two provinces. He added that as long as passengers and airlines have more options, the new airport could be operated either by the personal sector or public funding, stories Bangkok Post.
“A new airport in Phang Nga will help relieve congestion in Phuket.”
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