 - Business is looking to stage a Thai edition of the 'International Airshow' as it continues to create business opportunities.){kind=link}
TCEB recently commissioned UK-based Farnborough International to conduct a ‘Thailand International Airshow feasibility study’ for staging the show at U-Tapao Rayong Pattaya International Airport in the Thai government’s ‘Thailand 4.0 – EEC’ (Eastern Economic Corridor) initiative.
On the domestic front, TCEB held industry hearing among stakeholders of the local aviation industry, both in the public and private sector, to identify Thailand’s potential and strength in staging air show and its economic impacts.
Besides the feasibility study and domestic industry hearing, TCEB visited Farnborough International Airshow in the UK in 2018, Bahrain International Airshow and Paris Air Show in 2019 to get an overview of how to attract major air show events to Thailand.
In 2018, Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang International Airports handled a total of 634,011 flights, up 5.79% and handled a total of 103,378,371 passengers, up 7.39%. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has listed Thailand among the top ten countries with the highest air traffic volume in the next 20 years.
To keep up with demand, the Thai government plans to upgrade U-Tapao Rayong Pattaya International Airport to establish it as the third main international airport in Thailand. This will help to better facilitate the establishment of a Special Economic Zone in anticipation of EEC expansion. In addition, it will be served by high-speed trains linking U-Tapao to Don Muang and Suvarnabhumi Airports and is expected to be completed by 2023, strengthening Thailand’s regional aviation hub status.