THE Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) has plans to expand Krabi Airport to handle an estimated two million additional passengers per year with a view to grow tourism in Krabi and help manage the spillover from Phuket’s busy airport.
A full conceptual plan for the expansion is due to be inked in June this year, according to CAAT director Chula Sukmanop.
Chula said the plan will involve an initial step to improve and enlarge the facility’s service areas as well as increase the number of runways and parking bays to facilitate longhaul and LCC flights.
This will raise the capacity of the airport from three million passengers per year to “about five million”, he said.
He went on to add that the increased capacity will not only support tourism and business in Krabi but could also ease passenger traffic at Phuket International Airport, which is currently running at overcapacity.
The department is also in the process of selecting consultants for a ten-year development plan of Thailand’s airports, he shared.
