Cabinet endorses 12 projects to develop U-Tapao airport

BANGKOK, July 26 (TNA) -- The cabinet on Tuesday approved 12 projects to improve U-Tapao airport to compare with Suvarnabhumi airport. Kobsak Pootrakul, vice minister to the Prime Minister’s Office, said the cabinet endorsed a budget of 760 million baht for the projects that would support the construction of the second passenger terminal and an aircraft maintenance and overhaul facility at U-Tapao. The 12 projects comprise additional taxiways, airfield bunkers, an information system for the new passenger terminal, security system expansion, a building for ground staff, the second runway, a development master plan for the airport and its vicinity in Rayong province, the design of the aircraft maintenance centre, an air cargo building, the design of an aviation training centre, a defence-related research centre, and a study on public utilities. Besides, the cabinet agreed to increase the construction budget for the aviation training centre from 1.25 billion baht last year to 1.4 billion baht due to the rising costs of construction materials. The construction will begin in September. The overall development of U-Tapao airport was estimated to cost 144 billion baht plus the aircraft maintenance center worth 20 billion baht that Airbus will build. The government would not bear a high cost in the development because it invited the private sector to co-invest, Mr Kobsak said. (TNA)