Samui Airport eyes increasing flights to 73 per day from 50

After experiencing a surge in tourists landing on Koh Samui, a resort island off the coast of Surat Thani province in the first half of this year, Bangkok Airways, operator of Samui International Airport, plans to increase flights from 50 to 73 per day.

The company reported more than 1.4 million passengers using the airport from January to June this year, increasing 22% from the same period in 2023, signifying a full recovery from the impact of Covid-19.

Visiting the airport in the Southern region on Friday, Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit​​ said Bangkok Airways’ plan to increase the flights was approved by relevant authorities.

The plan includes expanding the passenger terminal and airport facilities, including the common-use self-service system in the next three years, said Suriya, who also doubles as deputy prime minister.

The operator also aims to increase the number of boarding gates, check-in counters and luggage carousels, as well as expand the commercial areas to 4,000 square metres, he said.

"The visit to Samui Airport is under the government’s policy to promote the tourism industry by enhancing entrepreneurs’ capability in welcoming passengers and tourists through cooperation between the public and private sectors,” Suriya said.

The airport, which is located in Bo Phut subdistrict, is capable of handling 16,000 passengers per day, or 6 million people per year.

There are currently 11 flight routes available at the airport, both domestic and international, operated by Bangkok Airways, Scoot Airlines, Tibet Airlines, West Air, and Chengdu Airlines.