AOT to hike airport passenger-service charges

However, AOT also plans to invest up to Bt5 billion in developing facilities at the airport in a bid to ease congestion.
Somchai Sawasdeepon, director of Suvarnabhumi Airport, said yesterday that the passenger service charge for international flights would be increased to Bt800 from the current Bt700 while that for domestic flights would be raised to Bt150 from Bt100 currently.
“Though the number of passengers has grown by an average of 8-9 per cent annually, we don’t expect traffic jams at Suvarnabhumi Airport, as some airlines have moved to provide services from Don Mueang Airport,” he said. AOT expects the number of passengers at Suvarnabhumi next year will decline to 45 million, compared with an estimated 52.6 million this year. The main reason is that Thai AirAsia, an airline that carries 10 million passengers a year, has relocated to provide services from Don Mueang.
He said Suvarnabhumi would restore some space on the terminal’s fourth floor for use by passengers. The airport also targets luggage-loading times not exceeding 20 minutes.
 Somchai said AOT planned to invest up to Bt5 billion on developing facilities in the airport such as luggage conveyors (Bt1.8 billion), air-conditioning improvements (Bt677 million), computer network (Bt334 million) and rest-room improvement (Bt100 million).
In addition, AOT is proceeding with Suvarnabhumi Airport’s second-phase construction, requiring an investment of Bt62 billion to enable traffic of 60 million passengers a year, up from 45 million currently.