Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha will fly on the first commercial flight to Betong Airport in Yala province to inspect the airport and give a speech for the airport’s official opening on March 14, 2022.
The Southern Border Provinces Administrative Centre (SBPAC) held a meeting via teleconference with related agencies to discuss preparations for the official opening for Betong Airport. According to SBPAC, Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha and cabinet ministers will board a commercial flight operated by Nok Air from Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport to Betong Airport, which will be the airport’s first official commercial flight. Participants will take part in the opening ceremony while adhering strictly to Covid-19 prevention measures.
Currently, Nok Air is the only airline that offers commercial flights from Don Mueang Airport to Betong Airport three times each week, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. However, two more airlines currently negotiate for this route as well.
The Betong airport is part of the government’s policy to strengthen the economy and security in the three southern border provinces. Under the government’s regional development plan. The construction process had started back in 2019 and was delayed from the original opening schedule two times. The airport has 7,000 sq m and has a runway length of 1,800 meters it is also able to receive almost 400 passengers per hour.
Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana Prime Minister spokesperson has said the airport will serve as a hub connecting the three provinces of Pattani, Narathiwat, and Yala, boosting transportation, logistics, and tourism in the region.