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Air traffic through Thailand's six major
airports for the year to Sept 30 edged up both in terms
of passenger numbers and flight frequencies in line with
growing demand due to budget carriers and increased tourist
flows.
The number of visitors passing through Suvarnabhumi, Don
Mueang, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Phuket and Hat Yai airports
rose 7.95% year-on-year to 56.02 million, while air movements
(take-offs and landings) operated by 106 airlines increased
11.4% to 390,300.
However, cargo volume through these airports, which are
operated by the majority-state-owned Airports of Thailand
Plc (AoT), inched up only 0.61% in the year to 1.25 million
tonnes. Of that, 1.14 million tonnes were international
cargo, up 1.47%.
Passenger traffic through Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi and Don
Mueang airports increased by 6.52% to 45.12 million, while
air movements rose 9.45% to 307,244, according to AoT
statistics.
Phuket airport showed the most robust growth with a 22.61%
increase in passenger traffic to 5.47 million. Flight
movements jumped 32.34% to 38,368, indicating that the
island's tourism industry has fully recovered from the
December 2004 tsunami disaster.
In contrast, the insurgent attacks in Hat Yai restricted
passenger traffic growth through the Hat Yai airport to
3.28% in the year to 1.33 million, although aircraft movements
grew 11.55% to 11,748.
Suvarnabhumi Airport remains Thailand's flagship and gateway
to other nations. In its first year of operation, it handled
41.93 million passengers, 267,555 take-offs and landings,
and 1.18 million tonnes of cargo.
In the year to Sept 30, Suvarnabhumi served 32.68 million
international passengers and 9.24 million domestic travellers.
Don Mueang, the 93-year-old airport that was closed in
September 2006 and reopened in March 2007 for non-connecting
domestic flights, dealt with 3.18 million passengers and
39,689 aircraft movements.
Chiang Mai airport recorded a 9.50% growth in passenger
throughput to 3.37 million, with aircraft movements increasing
9.15% to 26,708.
Much of the passenger traffic through Chiang Mai remained
domestic passengers, with 3.01 million (up 9.87 % year-on-year)
coming from within the country and 350,881 (up 6.42 %)
from overseas.
By contrast, international passenger traffic through Phuket
airport jumped 33.14 percent to 2.05 million, while domestic
passengers grew 17.05% to 3.42 million.
International aircraft movements through Chiang Mai contracted
11.11% to 5,058, but that was offset by a 15.29% increase
in domestic movements to 21,650.
International passenger flows through Phuket rose 33.14%
to 2.05 million while domestic visitors increased 17%
to 3.42 million.
That increase corresponded with a 28% increase in international
aircraft movements (16,239) and a 35.73% growth in domestic
movements (22,129).
International passengers travelling through Hat Yai plunged
by 30% to 94,612 as security concerns drove foreign tourists
away and airlines terminated flights to the city. But
domestic passengers helped keep the airport active, rising
7.17% to 1.24 million.
Chiang Rai airport registered the smallest growth in passenger
traffic with a 2.18 % increase to 711,662. Almost all
were domestic passengers.
Only 22 international aircraft landed and took off at
Chiang Rai airport in the period, a drop of 69.23 percent.
Domestic aircraft movements grew 10% to 6,210.
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