Passenger numbers at Don Mueang airport expected to increase to 40,000 at year-end

TUESDAY, September 07, 2021

Don Mueang International Airport estimates 30,000 to 40,000 passengers per day during the high season at the year-end after air travel restrictions were lifted earlier this month.

“After the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand [CAAT] lifted air travel restrictions in 29 Covid red zone provinces on September 1, many airlines have resumed their domestic flights at Don Mueang,” airport director Sampan Khuntranont said on Monday.

“On the first day of the easing of lockdown, we saw only around 1,000 air passengers, then the number started climbing to 3,000 to 4,000 people, travelling on 50-60 flights daily.”

Sampan added that currently three airlines are operating at Don Mueang: Nok Air, Thai Lion Air and Thai AirAsia. “These airlines are considering increasing flights during the high season at the year-end as they expect more provinces will be reopened,” he added. “The airport estimates that passengers during this period could rise to 30,000 to 40,000 per day, slightly lower than the same period of 2020 [before the third wave of Covid-19] at 40,000 people per day on average.”

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Before the pandemic, Don Mueang had seen around 100,000 to 120,000 passengers from up to 700 flights per day. Of these, around 60,000 to 70,000 per day are domestic passengers.

“Passengers are advised to study the requirement of destination provinces before booking the flights, as some provinces require vaccination certificate of two doses, while others have a mandatory quarantine,” he added.

“It is also recommended to be at the airport at least one hour before boarding time, as the officials will need an extra 30-45 minutes to check the additional documents.”