First Phuket airport renovations will be done by late next month, says its general manager
The first phase of Phuket’s renovated domestic terminal will open just in time for the upcoming holidays, Phuket International Airport General Manager Petch Chancharoen said at a press conference on Monday (Oct 9).
Most of the construction work has been completed and all of the building’s systems are now being tested so that it can open on Nov 28, as the high season for tourism begins, he told reporters at the event held in celebration of the airport’s 29th anniversary, the Phuket Gazette reported.
Work on the second phase is also expected to begin next month and be completed by June next year.
“This coming high season, we have about 300 flights per day landing in Phuket with an estimated 50,000 passengers, every day. There are 52 airlines in the airport, including 8 domestic, 36 international and 8 private airlines,” the Gazette reported Mr Petch saying.
” Compared to the number of passengers arriving at the same time last year, we’ll have a 10 per cet increase and we estimate that it will grow by another 7.2% next year as well.”
The plan is to boost the airport’s capacity to 18 million passengers annually from about 15 million at present, stretching its current capacity of only 12.5 million, he added.
“This coming high season, we have about 300 flights per day landing in Phuket with an estimated 50,000 passengers, every day. There are 52 airlines in the airport, including 8 domestic, 36 international and 8 private airlines,” the Gazette reported Mr Petch saying.
” Compared to the number of passengers arriving at the same time last year, we’ll have a 10 per cet increase and we estimate that it will grow by another 7.2% next year as well.”
The plan is to boost the airport’s capacity to 18 million passengers annually from about 15 million at present, stretching its current capacity of only 12.5 million, he added.