AoT Predicts Air Traffic Volume Return To Normal By Oct 2022

By LINDA KHOO HUI LI BANGKOK, June 18 (Bernama) -- Airports of Thailand (AoT) predicts air traffic volume will return to normal by October 2022, if a vaccine for COVID-19 can be developed and used by July next year. In a statement, the state-owned company which manages six airports in the country expects a 50.7 per cent drop in revenue year-on-year in 2020 and 42.2 per cent in 2021. The six airports are - Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport and Don Mueang International Airport, Chiang Mai International Airport, Hat Yai International Airport, Phuket International Airport and Mae Fah Luang-Chiang Rai International Airport. “As COVID-19 vaccine is expected to be developed and distributed in July next year, Thai national economy can then recover in January 2022 while the traffic volume will return to normal levels of 2019’s air traffic in October 2022,” according to AoT. The company projected the fiscal year 2022 will record 761,800 flights and 108.87 million passengers or 15 per cent and 23.3 per cent decline compared to 2019, respectively. “In the fiscal year 2023, the total number will increase to 902,200 flights and 144.2 million passengers or 0.7 per cent and 1.6 per cent increase in growth rates, respectively. "Such forecasts are based on the assumption that the second wave of COVID-19 infections still strikes different countries targeted for making bilateral agreements on (a) travel bubble with Thailand," AoT said. Thailand has yet to ink any agreements with other countries to create a “travel bubbles”. Last Friday, Prime Minister General Prayuth Chan o-cha has agreed in principle to reopen the borders to foreign visitors by creating travel bubbles with countries that managed to curb the spread of COVID-19. Thailand plans to reopen its door under its travel bubbles proposal to 1,000 medical tourist, business travellers, professional workers per day but foreign tourists remain excluded. -- BERNAMA