AOT confident passenger growth of 6% to 135 million, plans airport fee hike
AOT expects a 6% rise in passengers this year to 135 million, with continued growth in charter flights and a planned increase in passenger service charges.
Paweena Jariyathitipong, President of Airports of Thailand (AOT), has stated that the company expects passenger numbers to increase by 3-6% in 2026, reaching between 130 to 135 million.
This follows a record of 126 million passengers in 2025 across AOT’s six airports. In the first quarter of the current fiscal year (October to December 2025), passenger growth was 4% compared to the same period last year.
The growth is largely attributed to AOT’s proactive strategy, targeting premium passenger groups and increasing charter flights, especially from markets like China and Japan. In the first three months of fiscal 2026, 1,200 charter flights landed in Thailand, an increase from the 900-1,000 flights in 2025.
However, AOT acknowledges that full-year revenue projections must be continuously evaluated due to several factors, including the planned increase in the Passenger Service Charge (PSC).
Currently set at 730 baht per person for international departures, the charge will rise to 1,120 baht to better reflect actual costs. This change is expected to boost AOT’s revenue by approximately 10 billion baht annually.
"Revenue this year is quite uncertain because PSC revenue is not being collected for the full year. Although it has been approved, the official implementation of the PSC has not yet been announced,” Paweena said.
“Therefore, the PSC will have a full-year impact on revenue next year. As a result, next year we will see a new revenue structure for AOT, which will better reflect actual costs and help offset the loss of Aero income with PSC revenue."
She also revealed that AOT is considering introducing a PSC fee for transit passengers, which is already common in over 90% of airports worldwide. This would help reflect costs and further improve services.
Moreover, AOT plans to propose an investment plan to the Cabinet for approval, aimed at expanding passenger capacity.
This includes the East Expansion project at Suvarnabhumi Airport, worth 12 billion baht, which will increase capacity to 70 million passengers annually, up from the current 65 million.
The project, initially approved in 2016 but delayed due to adjustments in investment value, is expected to move forward with a bidding process starting in the next 1-2 months, with construction set to take four years.
Additionally, AOT is seeking Cabinet approval for a 200-billion-baht South Terminal development, which will include new passenger terminals, runways, and a Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facility, raising the airport’s annual capacity to 120 million passengers.
AOT is also moving forward with new airport developments, including the Andaman Airport and Lanna Airport. The Andaman Airport project, estimated at 80 billion baht, will be located in Phang Nga, while Lanna Airport in Chiang Mai is expected to cost 70 billion baht.
Both projects have completed preliminary studies and are being prepared for submission to the new Cabinet for approval in principle. After that, AOT will resume detailed project studies and begin preparations for land acquisition to develop the airports.
