Department of Airports Trips AOT in Taking Krabi Airport, Seeing 55% of Revenue Loss

Department of Airports Trips AOT before Acquiring Krabi Airport, Claiming Difficulties in Operating other Airports

Following the announcement from Airports of Thailand Public Company Limited (AOT), requesting an authorization to operate Krabi Airport instead of Sakon Nakhon Airport, today, August 22, 2019, Department of Airports has made a statement regarding the matter.

Department of Airports states that if the cabinet approves the change as AOT requested, it would affect the management and maintenance of other 24 airports. Department of Airports currently operates 28 airports in Thailand with a total revenue of 852 million baht in 2018 while 469 million baht or 55.05% from its total revenue in 2018 was generated from Krabi Airport.

Moreover, the government has been investing in the airport such as the expansion of ground area, the third terminal along with an approval for a budget in an amount of 6,000 million baht for a parallel runway in 2020.

Department of Airports has been using its own working capital to operate its airports, trying to burden the government the least. Thus, Department of Airports has a dispute on the changing that AOT requested.