 has stated that the first phase of the planned U-Tapao international airport expansion may be delayed by up to two years as a result of the pandemic's effects.){kind=link}
U-Tapao International Aviation Company Ltd. (UTA) has stated that the first phase of the planned U-Tapao international airport expansion may be delayed by up to two years as a result of the pandemic’s effects.
As a result of the pandemic’s effect on passenger growth, UTA and Bangkok Airways president Puttipong Prasarttong-Osoth have said that the first phase of the airport’s development might be finished in 2026. Furthermore, he stated that the project’s first four stages had the potential to grow into six.
With a 157,000 square meter terminal, 60 aircraft parking spaces, retail space, and a ground transportation hub, the first phase of the redevelopment was expected to be finished by 2024, with a passenger capacity of 15.9 million per year.
The Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) Policy Committee and the BBS consortium, which includes Bangkok Airways, have partnered to operate the redeveloped U-tapao airport under a 50-year concession.
More than sixty million passengers per year will be accommodated by the project.
Several obstacles, including Puttipong’s acceptance of the environmental impact assessment, the building of the second runway, and a contract for a high-speed rail, remain unresolved, according to the business.
Nonetheless, Puttipong said that the building of the project will not be impacted by the EEC’s search for a new secretary, as he is certain that the EEC will proceed as planned.