The Transport Ministry has decided to drop its plan to transfer the management of three regional airports under the Department of Airports (DoA) to Airports of Thailand (AoT), citing the potential negative impact of such move.
According to Deputy Transport Minister, Manaporn Charoensri, the DoA will continue to manage Udon Thani, Buriram and Krabi airports, as transferring the management of these airports to a different agency might have an adverse impact on the airports' budget allocation and human resources.
The plan to transfer the management of these airports was drawn up following a cabinet resolution issued on Aug 30, 2022. The lifting of this resolution will enable the government to resume efforts to upgrade the airports, which was prohibited by the resolution until the transfer is completed.
At present, the DoA manages 29 airports across the country. Meanwhile, the AoT, which is a listed, public company, is responsible for managing six airports, namely Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, Hat Yai, Phuket, Chiang Mai, and Chiang Rai-Mae Fah Luang airports.
Transferring the management of Udon Thani, Buriram and Krabi airports to AoT could complicate efforts to upgrade their facilities, as the project would have to be executed under a public-private partnership model, she said.
Ms Manaporn noted the decision to scrap the plan will allow DoA to carry out urgent upgrades to Udon Thani airport, which have had to be put on hold since 2018, because the resolution barred the department from pursuing any projects relating to the three airports until the transfer was completed.
Udon Thani airport is the busiest airport in the Northeast, but its facilities are really outdated, affecting services and passenger comfort, she said.
The DoA has requested a budget of about six billion baht to upgrade several airports under its management in the 2026 fiscal year. The works will bring these airports in line with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) latest standards, she said.
AoT will also upgrade several airports under its management. In addition to the ongoing improvements to Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports, the company is working on the plan to construct Lanna Airport in the North, and Andaman Airport in the South.
