AOT given green light for ‘airport city’ next to Suvarnabhumi
Airports of Thailand Plc will proceed with its plan to transform 723 rai of land adjacent Suvarnabhumi International Airport into “airport city” now that the Interior Ministry has amended the zoning code in Samut Prakan to allow the project to proceed, its president said.
The Interior Ministry recently published an announcement in the Royal Gazette saying it had given approval for farmland around Suvarnabhumi airport in Samut Prakan to be used for infrastructure and buildings, AOT president Nitinai Sirismatthakarn said.
The ministry amended the zoning code for Samut Prakan so that AOT could proceed with its airport city project, Nitinai said.
AOT will begin the project by opening bidding for a contractor to build a bridge and road from the airport to the 723-rai plot as well as install basic infrastructure, including piped water and electricity cables, he said.
After this is completed, AOT will select a private company to develop the airport city project into a hub for the trade of agricultural products, a centre for monitoring the quality of exports, and a distribution centre for export goods.
Warehouses will also be built for online vendors and imported goods, Nitinai said.
Airport city will enhance the potential of Suvarnabhumi, he said.
The project was stalled by prohibitions in the planning code of Samut Prakan banning the use of farmland for constructing buildings and infrastructure.
“Now that the restrictions have gone, AOT will start the project. Construction will take time. The road and infrastructures must be done first and a private firm will be selected to develop the city,” Nitinai said.
AOT expects the airport city project to raise the non-flight income of AOT from 43% to 50%, he said.
AOT deputy director Kirati Kitmanawat said it will take about a year to build the infrastructure and once it is complete AOT will consider proposals from private companies to develop airport cty.
Kirati said AOT is seeking permission from the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand to take over three airports from the Airports Department: Udon Thani, Buri Ram, and Krabi airports.
AOT expects to get the green light to operate them by the middle of this year, he said.
Udon Thani and Buri Ram airports will be upgraded into aviation hubs for the Northeast to facilitate direct flights to Laos and Cambodia, while Krabi airport will be upgraded into an international airport of the same standard as Phuket International Airport, Kirati added.
