Aug. 15--Authorities have decided to keep Krabi airport operating around the clock from Oct 1 to cope with the surge in passenger traffic, much of it spillover from heavily congested Phuket airport.
The decision comes in the wake of an expected doubling of passenger volume through Krabi airport to 1.69 million travellers during the six-month high-season period to next March, up from 800,000 recorded a year before.
Woradej Harnprasert, director-general of the Civil Aviation Department, told the Bangkok Post yesterday that extending the airport's operating hours from the present schedule of 6am-9pm will help to relieve the pressure on Phuket airport and better handle the increased passenger traffic through Krabi.
The department-run Krabi airport already serves as an alternative for the Phuket facility, which is run by Airports of Thailand Plc and whose traffic volume is expected to reach 10.5 million this year, well beyond its capacity of 6.5 million.
But Mr Woradej said cost considerations will limit Krabi's 24-hour service only to the forthcoming high season, when charter flights carrying holidaymakers, particularly Chinese and Russians, coming in great numbers.
Talk of expanding Krabi airport's passenger handling capacity to 5 million by building a third terminal is premature, given that only one-third of its 3-million-passenger annual capacity is used now, he said.
"Once the passenger volume reaches a sustainable rate above 2 million a year, we may start looking at future expansion," said Mr Woradej.
He said what can be done more immediately is linking the two existing passenger terminals.
Mr Woradej also questioned the practicality of building a sea ferry port in Krabi dedicated to transferring air passengers between the two provinces as suggested by some travel executives.
Krabi airport is 20 kilometres inland, so travellers would require ground transport to get to the proposed ferry.
Considering the inconvenience and time involved in going this dual transport route makes travelling by road straight from Krabi airport to Phuket, a journey lasting less than 90 minutes, more practical, said Mr Woradej.
Copyright 2013 - Bangkok Post, Thailand
