U-Tapao to be Bangkok's 3rd commercial airport

BANGKOK, June 3 (TNA) - The Thai Ministry of Transport and the Royal Thai Navy have jointly agreed to upgrade U-Tapao Airport in the Thai East to the 3rd commercial airport of Bangkok. Thai Transport Minister Air Chief Marshal Prajin Juntong and Navy Chief Admiral Kraisorn Chansuvanich on Wednesday signed the memorandum of cooperation (MOC), under which U-Tapao Airport will be linked by trains with Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang Airports to serve future air traffic. Both sides agreed that U-Tapao will be "one airport for two missions" to serve naval operations and commercial flights, and that they will jointly upgrade and promote the U-Tapao Airport to be then under the management of the Royal Thai Navy. Based on the agreement, two committees will draw a three-stage plan for the airport upgrade. In the first phase, the U-Tapao Airport's handling capacity is set to rise to three million passengers annually, with its existing passenger terminal and a new building to be completed next year. The second stage is set to further raise the airport's handling capacity to five million passengers annually and the third stage is set for the airport's enhanced operations from 2020 onward. (TNA)