TRANG - The Civil Aviation Department will fund a study on the extension of the runway at Trang airport as part of a gradual upgrading to accommodate more passengers, but actual construction may take a few years, Trang MP Somboon Uthaiwienkul said.
Mr Somboon said the department had recently informed him 10 million baht will be allocated in fiscal year 2014 to study the extension of the runway from 2,100m to 3,000m.
An additional budget would be allocated in fiscal year 2015 for an environment impact assessment of the planned runway extension.
The department recognised the necessity to upgrade the airport to accommodate increasing passenger traffic and the possibility that larger aircraft would operate into the airport in future.
Air Asia and Nok Air each plan to increase services to Trang to six flights a day, Mr Somboon said. This would lift passenger numbers to over 300,000 a year.
He said expansion of the airport woud improve safety and help stimulate tourism in the province.
Mr Somboon said two other projects for the development of the airport were already in the works.
For the fiscal year 2013 to 2014, the airport will add another taxiway and expand ground services to handle up to four large aircraft, like the Boeing 737. It can currently hanbdle only two large aircraft at a time. This would cost and estimated 95 million baht. The bidding process was already underway.
The passenger terminal and other facilities would also be improved, with 64 million baht budgeted for fiscal 2014-2015. This would double capacity, to accommodate 600 passengers per hour, up from 300 an hour.
Photo by Methee Muangkaew.