Airports of Thailand Plc is speeding up completion of the Suvarnabhumi expansion by one year, to March 2016, to arrest the fast-growing traffic through the country's gateway airport.
The state-controlled airport operator's board on Thursday endorsed the expedited timeline for the 62.5-billion-baht scheme, which will now be completed in 58 months instead of 70.
The acceleration is in line with a directive by the Transport Ministry, which wants to see added capacity available ahead of time to deal with the annual double-digit growth in passenger traffic expected in the next several years.
The speed-up will not compromise the scale and quality of the Phase 2 expansion or incur additional costs, Somchai Sawasdeepon, general manager of Suvarnabhumi airport, said yesterday.
Periods required for each phase of work will be slashed, procedures for purchasing and hiring shortened, and construction sped up, he explained.
But the acceleration will only mean catching up with surging traffic demand, as by 2016 the increased capacity will be entirely consumed by the expected demand during that year.
The full reactivation of the old Don Mueang airport, in phases beginning next month, should relieve some traffic congestion.
The Phase 2 expansion will raise Suvarnabhumi's passenger handling capacity to 60 million passengers a year from 45 million now.
Last year, 48 million travellers passed through Suvarnabhumi, and the number is likely to reach 52.2 million this year.
Under the expansion plan, a satellite terminal will be built with 28 gates, eight of which will be able to handle the double-decker A380 superjumbo.
The future and current terminals will be linked by an underground tunnel, 51 metres in width and 700 metres in length.
Inside the tunnel will be an automated people mover, two service roads, two baggage conveyors and space for utilities.
The expansion scheme will include a new 960,000-square-metre apron for aircraft parking and manoeuvring.
The eastern end of the current passenger terminal will be extended by 135 metres, and a new airline office building will be constructed.