AoT estimates that 5.36 million passengers will travel to and from six international airports under its management between April 5, the day before the Chakri Memorial Day public holiday, when many people start to take their long vacations for the Thai New Year, and April 18, when the Songkran holidays draw to a close.
AoT operates Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang international airports in Bangkok; as well as the international airports in Phuket, Chiang Mai, Hat Yai and Chiang Rai.
AoT said 32,357 flights will land and take off at the six airports during Thailand’s biggest festive week.
AoT President Nitinai Sirismatthakarn said in a statement last week that all of the six airports reported a surge in travel and this will continue as the Songkran holiday gets underway April 13 and closes April 17.
The Songkran festival travel is the main driver for the rise in movements, but domestic travel was already on the rise April 5 just a day ahead of the Chakri Day public holiday, AoT reported.
Many Thai families take advantage of the close proximity of the two holidays to block their annual leave to give them up to two weeks off work.
AoT estimates that from April 5-18 a total of 32,357 flights will land and take off from the six main airports, averaging about 2,312 flights per day and representing an increase of 7.22% over the same period last year.
Passenger traffic will reach 5.36 million at the six airports, or 383,188 passengers per day, increasing 12.05% over the same period in 2016. Airports count disembarkations, transit and embarkations in the passenger calculation.
The estimated flight and passenger traffic at the six airports during the festive holidays are:
- Suvarnabhumi: 972 flights daily (+5.02%) and 184,000 passenger movements daily (+14.25%);
- Don Mueang: 698 flights (+5.11%) and 104,700 passengers daily (+7.24%).
- Phuket: 293 flights (+11.24%) and 46,200 passengers daily (+9.25%).
- Chiang Mai: 208 flights (+12.87%) and 27,900 passengers daily (+16.73%).
- Hat Yai: 90 flights (+19.66%) and 13,000 passengers daily (+16.76%).
- Chiang Rai: 51 flights (+16.69%) and 7,200 passengers daily (+24.08%).
Queues at airports will be longer and passengers are advised to check-in early.’
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