Thai aviation business enjoys continual growth

BANGKOK, June 27 (TNA) - Thailand’s aviation business has enjoyed continual growth during the first eight months of the 2014 fiscal year, which started on October 1, 2013. Makin Petplai, President of Airports of Thailand Public Co., Ltd. (AOT), told journalists of the sound prospect on Friday. Makin pointed out that the number of international passengers using Thai airports stood about 60 million from October 1, 2013 to May 31, 2014, a 4.2 per cent year-on-year increase, while 419,000 commercial airlines used Thai airports under the AOT during the period, a 13.2 per cent year-on-year increase. According to the AOT chief, the increase was in line with steady growth of the global aviation business, at 4.5–5 per cent year-on-year, during the period. The AOT president reported that the aviation industry in Asia-Pacific alone expanded by 6.5 per cent year-on-year during the October 2013-May 2014. It is projected that the number of international passengers should rise by 2–3 per cent year-on-year on average in 2014 and his office has cooperated with several tourism businesses, including the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), to attract more international visitors to Thailand. The AOT chief revealed that facilities at Thai airports have been improved and AOT has also submitted urgent plans to its board and the army-led National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) on the expansion of Thailand's main Suvarnabhumi International Airport Phase 2 and on its shortened construction period to 58, from 70 months earlier planned, with the construction on the airport expansion, worth 62 billion baht, set to start on December 2014.(TNA)