AoT airports make gains

21 May 2013 2116 | Business & Trade Fairs

BANGKOK, 20 May 2013: Airports of Thailand reports April data showed increases in both aircraft movements and passenger traffic at six airports under its management.

AoT released details, late last week, revealing improvements in aircraft movements of 13.72%. Flights increased from 41,295 to 46,962. The entire system handled 1 million more passengers than in April last year. It represented a 15.87% increase in passenger traffic up from 6,334,758 to 7,340,021 for all airports.

It is indicative of the passenger traffic boom mainly from Asian airports. AoT is now playing catch up as traffic growth begins to put pressure on capacity and facilities at Suvarnabhumi (April: 4.3 million passenger traffic) and Phuket airports (900,000).

Suvarnabhumi Airport registered a slight increase in international aircraft movements of 0.45% from 19,236 to 19,322, while domestic movements dropped 38.16% from 8,067 to 4,989 movements.

International passenger traffic grew 2.54% from 3,494,447 to 3,583,312, while domestic passenger traffic dropped 36.07% from 1,130,773 to 722,857, due to the switch in services to Don Mueang.

Understandably, Bangkok’s Don Mueang International Airport continues to register massive increases in both aircraft movements and passenger traffic due to the airline migration late last year. International aircraft movements increased 1,297.93% from 242 to 3,383, while domestic movements recorded a growth of 111.20% from 3,802 to 8,030. The comparisons are being made against months when the airport was used by just private flights.

International passengers at Don Mueang also posted a growth of 10,885 (19%) from 4,091 to 449,404 and domestic passengers increased 193.77% from 319,295 to 937,991.

Don Mueang is now officially once more an international airport with AirAsia serving all of its regional points. All Thailand’s domestic airlines are now based at Don Mueang. Only THAI and Bangkok Airways continue to serve their domestic networks from Suvarnabhumi, due to the need to provide connecting services for their international flights.

The northern gateway, Chiang Mai International Airport, continued to show growth in April. Both international and domestic aircraft movements registered double-digit increases of 72.02% (361 to 621) and 4.07% (2,728 to 2,839).

International passenger traffic grew 50.75% (36,446 to 54,941), while domestic traffic grew 14.63% (308,310 to 353,430).

The southern gateway, Phuket International Airport also registered growth in all sectors. International aircraft movements gained 24.98% from 2,546 to 3,182. Domestic movements grew 7.73% from 2,394 to 2,579.

Both international and domestic passenger traffic grew 19.62% (770,906 to 922,171).

Chiang Rai International Airport reported a decline in aircraft movements of 6.84% (614 to 572) while passenger traffic grew 6.56% (82,718 to 88,141). Orient Thai stopped its operations to the far north town. It served the airport three times daily.

Fewer airlines are serving the destination, but flights are packed on flights offered by the three airlines serving the far north airport. Chiang Rai needs at least one more airline to serve domestic demand and provide healthy competition year-round.

Hat Yai International Airport reported a decline of 5.88% in international aircraft movements (136 to 128),while passenger traffic grew 12.66% (1,169 to 1,317) in April. Meanwhile, overall passenger traffic registered a 21.30% growth from 187,722 to 227,774 passengers.