Thailand Targets One Million Flights with Suvarnabhumi's Third Runway
Ambitious target set for 2025 to boost aviation and tourism
The Thai government has set a target to handle one million flights nationwide for the next fiscal year, as revealed by Deputy Transport Minister Manaporn Charoensri.
This objective follows the recent opening of the third runway at Suvarnabhumi Airport, a key step in positioning Thailand as a regional aviation hub and stimulating tourism and economic growth.
In the 2024 fiscal year, Thailand witnessed 836,513 flights, marking a 16% increase from the previous year.
Suvarnabhumi Airport, the main international gateway, handled an average of 950 flights daily, nearing pre-pandemic levels.
The aim for the 2025 fiscal year is to increase this volume to one million flights.
Aeronautical Radio of Thailand (Aerothai) has confirmed its capacity to support this growth, with extensive preparations that began over five years ago.
These included developing operational concepts, conducting environmental impact assessments, refining air traffic control (ATC) procedures, training ATC staff, and installing advanced air navigation systems.
According to Aerothai president Nopasit Chakpitak, the additional runway has boosted Suvarnabhumi's flight handling capacity from 68 to 94 flights per hour.
The enhanced runway operations are expected to optimize air traffic flow and efficiency, further supporting Thailand's aviation targets.