Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Monday inspected Suvarnabhumi Airport's Satellite Airport Terminal 1 ahead of its soft launch next month.
Accompanied by several cabinet ministers, including Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Interior Minister Anupong Paojinda, Gen Prayut also took a ride on the Automated People Mover (APM) train that links the new terminal with the main passenger terminal.
Gen Prayut said the visit was a follow-up on construction projects under Phase 2 of the Suvarnabhumi Airport development plan, which includes the SAT-1 terminal.
The terminal is set for a soft opening late next month, he said.
According to Gen Prayut, the new facility can accommodate up to about 15 million passengers per year, bringing Suvarnabhumi Airport's annual passenger handling capacity to 60 million.
The prime minister said his delegation was also briefed on the progress of the construction of a third runway, adding it was 73% complete.
The new runway is expected to be ready for use in July next year.
Gen Prayut said that with the new runway, Suvarnabhumi Airport can handle 94 flights per hour, an increase from the current 68.
"The SAT-1 terminal, the third runway and other projects under development are part of the foundation work to revive the economy and tourism sector," the premier said. "They will also accommodate the projected growth in the country's aviation industry and increase its competitiveness."
According to deputy government spokeswoman Traisulee Taisaranakul, the SAT-1 terminal has 28 contact gates, eight of which are designed to accommodate Code F aircraft (the double-decker A380 superjumbo jets) and 20 others for Code E aircraft (Boeing B747s).
She said the four-storey facility has a total floor area of 216,000 square metres, with two underground floors housing the APM train system and other related operations systems.
The APM system, with a maximum speed of 80kph, can accommodate 210 passengers per train, equaling about 6,000 passengers per hour, she said, adding it takes about three minutes to make each trip, including the wait time.