Southeast Asia Information Port News (www.dnyxxg.com), August 22 – Air Force Commander Somchanok, head of Chiang Rai Mae Fah Luang International Airport in Thailand, revealed that the Thai Ministry of Transport and Airports of Thailand (AOT) have officially approved the airport's new terminal construction project. The project, with a total investment of 5.7 billion baht, is expected to be fully completed in 2032.
According to the plan, the new terminal will significantly increase the airport's passenger capacity, accommodating 6 million passengers annually, including 5 million domestic passengers and 1 million international passengers. This represents a more than two-fold increase compared to the airport's current annual capacity of 1.9 million passengers, effectively alleviating current passenger flow pressure and laying a solid foundation for the airport's future development.
Air Force Commander Somchanok emphasized that achieving an annual passenger volume of 6 million at Chiang Rai Mae Fah Luang International Airport within the next seven years is not only part of the airport's development plan but also a crucial investment direction for Chiang Rai Province, significantly impacting regional economic development. He also pointed out that failure to meet this passenger flow target would lead to operational difficulties for the airport. Therefore, to ensure Chiang Rai's long-term development, close collaboration among government departments, private enterprises, local governments, chambers of commerce, and educational institutions is essential to jointly achieve this goal. Currently, the airport has signed a contract with a professional consulting firm to officially launch the conceptual design work for the new terminal, marking the substantial start of the project's preliminary preparations.
In addition to the new terminal construction, Somchanok also revealed the long-term plan for Chiang Rai Mae Fah Luang International Airport. The airport will cover a total area of 753 rai (approximately 1600 square meters per rai), with 50 rai specifically designated for an aircraft maintenance center to meet future aviation industry needs, particularly targeting the Chinese market, which is projected to become the fastest-growing global air transport market by 2030. He stated that Thailand, with its geographical proximity to China, is one of the ideal locations for developing aircraft maintenance operations, and Chiang Rai possesses unique potential in terms of land resources and infrastructure. In addition to the aircraft maintenance center, it can also learn from Singapore's development model to create an "aerospace industry" cluster encompassing the entire process of aircraft disassembly, assembly, and maintenance.
It is worth noting that the aircraft maintenance center project has successfully passed its Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and is about to enter the piling construction phase. Somchanok stated that the advancement of these projects aims to gradually improve Chiang Rai's aviation industry ecosystem, ultimately promoting Chiang Rai's development into a future regional "aviation metropolis" and further strengthening its important position in the Southeast Asian aviation network.
