Airports of Thailand (AoT) plans to procure 4,800 luggage trolleys next year to serve rising passenger numbers at Don Mueang airport.
Flying officer Sumpun Kutranon, acting general manager of Don Mueang airport, said about 70 million baht would be budgeted for the procurement.
The procurement consists of 2,500 medium-sized trolleys and the rest will be small-sized, he said.
The new trolleys are expected to be handed over in 2020, Mr Sumpun said.
He made the remarks during a recent news conference following complaints by passengers about inadequate numbers of trolleys in a baggage claim area at Don Mueang airport.
He conceded there are not enough carts at the facility due to the increasing number of passengers at the airport.
According to Mr Sumpun, the airport handles 4,600 passengers from arriving domestic flights and 14,000 passengers from arriving international flights during peak hours from 5-8 pm.
Mr Sumpun stressed the Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tracking system applied to trolleys is still functioning and will be upgraded to boost its efficiency.
The acting general manager said there are currently 2,900 trolleys at the airport. Based on analysis, Don Mueang airport, which currently handles 40 million passengers a year, needs another 2,500 trolleys.
The AoT contracted Numkrai Universal Group Co to provide a complete range of trolley services between 2016 and 2023. In the third year of the contract, the company is obligated to provide 2,900 trolleys to the airport.
Medium-sized trolleys will be stationed at baggage claim areas for both domestic and international passenger terminals, he said.
Trolley handlers were instructed to ensure quick returns of trolleys taken out of the terminals, he said, adding that 50 of them are working around the clock.
Mr Sumpun said the concessionaire, based on the contract, must provide enough personnel and equipment to make sure the trolleys are brought back to their designated areas.
He said the contractor was sought based on the 2012 fiscal budget, at which time the airport did not handle as many passengers as it does now. The number has rapidly risen over the past six years.
In 2013, the airport dealt with 15 million passengers, but the number soared to 28 million in 2015 and reached 40.5 million this year.
Referring to urgent measures to address the trolley shortage, Mr Sumpun said AoT has asked the contractor to increase the number of trolley handlers from 50 to 60 a day from Dec 15.