Bangkok Airways CEO Puttipong Prasarttung Ossh announced on March 27, 2026 that the UTA Alliance, as one of the investors, will soon receive a Notice to Proceed from the Eastern Economic Corridor Commission. The Utapao Airport project will officially start construction on April 3, 2026, with an estimated construction period of 3 to 4 years.

He stated that EEC had previously bundled the development of Utapao Airport with the Don Mueang Suvarnabhumi U-Tapao project, but the slow progress of high-speed rail hindered the overall progress. After multiple rounds of negotiations, UTA has reached a new plan with the government to independently construct the airport project and no longer wait for the high-speed rail to be implemented simultaneously.

Putipong mentioned that if they wait for each other, both projects will be difficult to advance, so it is necessary to adjust the mechanism and build the airport first. Although the initial investment amount and return model may be adjusted, the long-term expansion will gradually follow the pace of airport and regional development, ultimately achieving the planning goals.

The phased construction plan of Utabao Airport

The first phase of the project will focus on the construction of Terminal 3, with a designed annual passenger throughput of 3 to 4 million, which is in line with the recovery pace of the aviation market in the post pandemic era. At present, the annual passenger volume of Utabao Airport is only 300000 to 400000.

UTA plans to invest approximately 10 billion Thai baht in the first phase for the construction of the terminal and supporting facilities. After the guest traffic reaches 80% of the first phase design capacity, expansion will be initiated and gradually increased to 6 million, 10 million, and even 12 million people. During the 50 year franchise period, the target total service capacity is to reach 60 million people. Putipong stated that phased expansion can avoid excessive upfront investment and improve the efficiency of capital utilization.

Other airports under its umbrella will be upgraded synchronously

Bangkok Airways is also promoting the expansion of Koh Samui Airport, with plans to start construction in the second quarter of 2026 and complete it by 2030, increasing the annual passenger capacity to 6 million people, increasing the number of boarding gates from 7 to 11, expanding the commercial area to 4000 square meters, increasing the number of check-in counters to 40, and adding self-service equipment. The runway of Trat Airport has been extended to 2000 meters, and Taxiway and 3 parking stands are under construction to accommodate the takeoff and landing of jet aircraft such as Airbus A320. The project is expected to be completed within one year.

Prudent and Steady Business Strategy for 2026

Putipong stated that Bangkok Airways will adopt a prudent strategy in 2026, focusing on optimizing its scale rather than blindly expanding. The company will optimize its route structure, retain high-quality routes, eliminate inefficient routes, and adhere to a conservative strategy to ensure stable profitability.

In terms of fleet size, it is expected to remain at 22 to 26 aircraft in 2026, which is basically the same as the 25 aircraft in 2025. The existing aircraft models include 1 Airbus A320, 11 Airbus A319, and 10 ATR 72-600. The company has purchased 12 new ATR 72-600 aircraft, with the first two to be delivered in the fourth quarter of 2026 and the remaining models to be delivered in batches by 2028.

In terms of business objectives, the company plans to execute 48000 flights by 2026, a year-on-year decrease of 2%; The target occupancy rate is 80%, with a year-on-year increase of 4 percentage points; The target passenger volume is 4.3 million, unchanged from the previous year; The average ticket price remains at 4200 Thai baht per flight. However, Putipong admitted that this goal was set before the escalation of the situation in the Middle East. In the first two months of 2026, Thailand's tourism industry performed strongly, but since the outbreak of the conflict on February 28, the industry's prospects have become uncertain, and companies have had to reassess their annual business expectations.

He said that the first two months of the year can be considered a 'sweet period' for the tourism industry, but with the outbreak of war and changes in the market environment, we need to re-examine our annual strategy and may adjust our established goals to cope with the impact of industry fluctuations. Keywords: Utapao Airport, Bangkok Airways, Airport Expansion

With the restart of the Utapao Airport project and the simultaneous promotion of multiple infrastructure constructions, Thailand is accelerating the construction of a future oriented aviation hub system. However, in the context of rising global uncertainty, how to strike a balance between expanding investment and controlling risks will still be an important issue for businesses and policy makers.Editor/Gong Ziwei