U-Tapao airport intends to relocate its planned new facilities, including a third terminal, close to the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) high-speed railway that will link three key airports, the airport's director Luechai Sri-eamgool said on Friday.
The airport, located in Rayong, is already going through a new land refit, following an announcement on June 4 by the EEC Committee -- headed by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha -- that 6,500 rai of U-Tapao's land area of more than 16,000 rai must be set aside for upcoming EEC development projects.
The projects comprise the high-speed railway, which is set to connect Don Mueang, Suvarnabhumi and U-Tapao airports, as well as new structures at U-Tapao including a maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) centre, a tax-free trading zone and a cargo depot.
As a result, U-Tapao's planned third terminal and second runway will be relocated to another part of the compound, said Rear Admiral Luechai.
The new site will be situated about 1.5km away from current terminals and runways, he said.
The EEC committee announced that the terms of reference (ToR) for the infrastructure projects, worth over 200 billion baht, would be announced by the end of next month. Auction winners are set to be found by October.
RAdm Luechai confirmed yesterday that the airport, which is jointly overseen by the Department of Airports and the Royal Thai Navy, has already set aside the land for the EEC development plans.
The director's comments are consistent with the committee's announcement, which also stated that land located within a 10km radius of the airport will be commercially developed to increase economic activity in the corridor.
"The future of U-Tapao airport is unclear, since operation rights can be transferred to the body which wins upcoming EEC development projects," he said. "It is likely that main operations will be conducted in new buildings under the development plan.
"There is no way of telling for sure even if the airport will still be called 'U-Tapao Airport' when the new plans are complete; it all depends on the EEC committee," he added.
He said the high-speed railway set to link the three airports is due to be located around 1.5km from U-Tapao's main passenger terminal.
The new EEC-backed terminal could be located closer to the planned railway station, he said, adding that its fate would be decided once the ToR are released.
In the meantime, the airport will expand its operations in line with passenger demand, he said.
RAdm Luechai said passenger numbers have doubled in the past year. He said it has serviced over 1.5 million passengers since the start of the current financial year. The number is set to rise to 2 million by year-end.
Last year it recorded just 1 million passengers, and 600,000 the year before, he said.
The number could rise to 3 million next year as new routes are established, he said.
Qatar Airways in January launched a Doha-U-Tapao flight, making it the first Middle Eastern airline to offer direct flights to Pattaya, a popular tourist site in Chon Buri.
U-Tapao has now opened 75% of its newly built second passenger terminal, with the remaining area, featuring duty-free shops and general airport space, set to open by January.
The new terminal, originally scheduled to fully open last August, was set to replace the first terminal. But RAdm Luechai said recently the original terminal could remain operational to offer a better service to travellers.