Image via lemaret pierrick’s images
A proposal for a new airport in Phangnga, which could potentially surpass Phuket as the South’s aviation hub, will be presented to the new prime minister by tourism operators in the Andaman provinces. The president of the Tourism Council of Phangnga, Pongsakorn Ketprapakorn, shared that the new airport’s necessity stems from the rapid growth in tourist demand for the South post-pandemic and the fact that expansion at Phuket airports has reached its limit. The recovery of tourism in Phangnga has reached 70% of the level in 2019. Some hotels already have full bookings for the upcoming high season. Provinces along the Andaman coast need a new airport to accommodate the stronger passenger flow in the near future. The council is set to meet new Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin on Saturday to discuss the proposal. Pongsakorn urged the government to commission Airports of Thailand (AoT) to perform a feasibility study and environmental impact assessment promptly, as constructing an airport is a lengthy process. According to a previous study, the proposed airport in Phangnga could host Thailand’s longest runway, capable of accommodating large aircraft such as the Boeing 747 and Airbus A380, a feat not possible at the Phuket airport due to physical restrictions. Pongsakorn also pointed out that the new airport could cater to up to 25 million passengers annually, significantly more than Phuket’s 12.5 million. To connect the new airport with the three Andaman provinces, an electric bus project, capable of transporting passengers to Phuket within an hour and Krabi within two hours, is also proposed by the council. Pongsakorn highlighted that Phangnga is home to 150 hotels with 17,000 rooms, and the proposed airport could attract more investment to the province. However, tourism operators favour an airport owned and developed by AoT, as opposed to granting a concession to the private sector. Thaneth Tantipiriyakij, president of the Phuket Tourist Association, confirmed that Prime Minister Srettha pledged to accelerate the development of the new airport in Phangnga during a meeting with tourism operators in Phuket. Santisuk Klongchaiya, chief executive of Thai AirAsia, expressed his belief in Phangnga’s potential to build a new airport and absorb passengers from Phuket airport due to the proximity of the two provinces. He added that as long as passengers and airlines have more options, the new airport could be operated either by the private sector or public investment, reports Bangkok Post. “A new airport in Phangnga will help relieve congestion in Phuket,” said Santisuk.
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