Over 700,000 passengers expected at Don Mueang Airport during Songkran

Bangkok’s Don Mueang International Airport is expected to see more than 700,000 arrivals and 4,300 flights during the upcoming Songkran festival, according to Airports of Thailand (AOT).

AOT chief Kerati Kijmanawat said on Wednesday that the airport was expected to receive 701,906 passengers between April 11 and 17 from a total of 4,391 anticipated flights — 2,705 of them domestic.

Kerati said that each day of the seven-day period was expected to see roughly 627 flights carrying 100,234 passengers: 282,490 would be international travellers and 419,146 domestic. April 11 is expected to see the highest influx of people, he said.

This marks a 3.1 per cent growth in terms of the total flight numbers compared to the same period of the previous year, as per AOT.

Kerati said the forecast points to increasing demand from passengers during the festive period. He advised all customers to arrive at the airport two to three hours ahead of their departure time to avoid missing the flights.

The airport would provide free parking from April 12-16 and tighten security, like deploying more officials and CCTVs, to ensure the safety of passengers, he said.

He advised the public to download the “Sawasdee by AOT” application to facilitate their travel plans and ensure a quicker process at the airport.

Don Mueang Airport also would develop infrastructure to increase space within the passenger terminal adequate to support 40 million passengers per year to increase service potential and generate income from commercial activities, he added.