Thailand's air traffic improved to cater for expanding aviation

BANGKOK, September 13 (TNA) - Aeronautical Radio of Thailand Ltd. (AEROTHAI) is improving the national air traffic management system in preparation for the expanding aviation once the U-Tapao International Airport in the Thai East is fully opened for public services. AEROTHAI President Somnuk Rongthong told journalists of the update on September 12, noting that the move complies with the government's policy on developing more aviation connectivity between the Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok, the Suvarnabhumi International Airport on the outskirts of Bangkok and the U-Tapao International Airport in the eastern Rayong Province in order to, among other reasons, support its Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) Project. Somnuk said under the reviewed air traffic management plan, all the three targeted airports will have two runways catering for inbound and outbound flights separately, instead of the only one runway serving both inbound and outbound flights, in order to heighten the aviation safety and the number of daily flights by about 50-100 per cent at each of the three Thai airports as the delay for ensuring the safety of their cross inbound and outbound flights will be settled. According to the AEROTHAI president, another runway that is adjacent to the existing one will, thus, be constructed at each of the three targeted international Thai airports, set to be completed and launched for public services over the next 1-2 years once the change in the air traffic system is officially approved by the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT), under the Ministry of Transport. The AEROTHAI president assessed that the number of flights at all airports in Thailand should increase by 8 per cent year-on-year in 2018, or exceeding one million flights totally, and the reviewed air traffic management system will, therefore, cover a machanism to handle the different number of flights at separate airports efficiently and safely. (TNA)