Expansion of Thailand's Suvarnabhumi Airport to be completed by 2017

BANGKOK, February 10 (TNA) - Airports of Thailand Public Company Limited (AOT) is looking for a contractor to expand the country'a main Suvarnabhumi International Airport in its second-phase development, set to be completed for services by 2017. AOT President Makin Petplai told journalists on Monday that the expansion project could proceed despite the present tenure of the caretaker government because AOT will spend its own money on the plan, which has already been approved by the Cabinet. Makin said the construction site will be prepared this year and a consultancy and a contractor will be hired, set to cost about 1.3 billion baht. According to the AOT president, the construction of the phase 2-Suvarnabhumi International Airport will begin in 2015 with its expanded sections to be completed and start their services by 2017, when the airport's capacity to increase to serve up to about 60 million passengers annually. The AOT president also confirmed that ground services of the Suvarnabhumi International Airport have been continuing as usual, with staffs to be mobilized to increase its ground service capacity by 20-30 per cent in case of any emergency to prevent negative impacts on international passengers. In response to reports that staffs of Thai Airways International (THAI), the national flag carrier, planned to shut down their services, the AOT chief insisted that there is not any work stoppage at all and ground services have continued as usual. The AOT president acknowledged that AOT has implemented measures to cope with a possible shutdown since January 1, 2014.(TNA)