Passengers at AOT airports increase by 19.7% during New Year holidays

Over 2.97 million passengers travelled through airports operated by Airports of Thailand Plc (AOT) during the long New Year holiday period, from 27 December to 2 January, Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit announced on Wednesday.

Suriya reported that passenger numbers at AOT airports rose by 19.7% compared to the same period last year. This included 1.84 million international passengers, an increase of 23.8%, and 1.13 million domestic passengers, a rise of 13.5%, he added.

A total of 17,385 flights operated during the period, an increase of 16.4%. Of these, 9,792 were international flights (a 21.7% increase) and 7,593 were domestic flights (a 10.3% increase).

Suriya noted that despite the large number of passengers during the New Year holidays, operations at the airports ran smoothly without congestion. On average, it took 22 minutes for an inbound international passenger to complete the airport process, while outbound international passengers required around 28 minutes.

The minister attributed the efficiency to the implementation of the Common Use Passenger Processing System (CUPPS), which incorporates Common Use Self-Service (CUSS) kiosks and Common Use Bag Drop facilities at the airports. Automated border control channels, allowing passengers to verify their identities using passports and biometric systems, also contributed to the streamlined process, Suriya added.

Meanwhile, AOT President Kirati Kitmanawat provided the following breakdown of passenger and flight numbers at AOT-operated airports between 27 December and 2 January:

• Suvarnabhumi International Airport: 1,429,736 passengers (16.1% increase) across 7,707 flights (14.3% increase)
• Don Mueang International Airport: 758,929 passengers (27% increase) across 4,914 flights (19.2% increase)
• Chiang Mai International Airport: 233,769 passengers (19.7% increase) across 1,425 flights (12.1% increase)
• Mae Fah Luang International Airport (Chiang Rai): 46,190 passengers (14.5% increase) across 318 flights (12% increase)
• Phuket International Airport: 437,411 passengers (20.4% increase) across 2,573 flights (20.5% increase)
• Hat Yai International Airport: 66,092 passengers (18.2% increase) across 448 flights (17.9% increase)