Phuket International Airport Facing Problem

The skies above Phuket too busy over Christmas

2 November 2006 - Phuket - Thailand

Phuket International Airport is facing difficulties already with the upcoming peak season air traffic. The Phuket peak season start a week or so before Christmas and last until the second week of January.

Phuket air traffic control management and management of Phuket International Airport have already started planning for the surge in number of flights and passengers that they will have to handle during the upcoming peak season.

It has become clear to both parties that the number of flights and passengers that they will have to deal with is larger then the number that Phuket airport can deal in a way that there would be no delays or drop in quality of the various airport services.

The problem that Phuket International Airport and the air traffic control is facing is only becoming larger as airlines are often sold out already for their regular flights during the Phuket peak season period and are requesting for additional arrival and departure slots from the Phuket International Airport and the Air Traffic Control.

Phuket International Airport also has a number of airlines that will be flying on the Phuket flight route for the first time this high season which explains for a increase in the number of passenger as compared to those of previous years. The three airlines in question are; Air Macau, Jetstar and Dragon Air.

Many tourists going to Phuket on holiday during the high season have booked packages through their travel agents / tour operators. Many of these packages include both flight as well as hotel and these flights are on normally charter flights. Phuket International Airport is therefore also receiving a strong demands for arrival and departure slots from a variety of charter airlines which come mainly from Europe and Russia.

The parking facilities for airplanes at Phuket airport is also running into trouble as a large number of the aircrafts will not be departing soon after landing and there for the airplanes need to be parked.

The facilities at the Phuket International Airport for parking airplanes is very limited and management is trying to solve this issue by offering financial incentives to airlines if they park their airplane at one of the regional airports which are not facing trouble during the peak season.

Phuket International Airport is forecasting that during the peak season, the airport will have to handle around two thousand passengers per hour which is nearly 300% more then the present passenger levels.

Another major issue which Phuket International Airport is trying to deal with is one that is completely out of their hands. The passenger transfer system in place at the airport which takes travellers to and from the airport is not well managed and organized. The road network leading to and from the Phuket International Airport consists or roads that are not really suitable for handling a large volume of buses, taxi's and mini vans.

Unfortunately it is to late to improve the situation as any construction of new roads or widening of the roads will take months if not years. We suggest for the new Phuket governor to start looking into the problem because each year the problem comes to the table.

Local authorities do not wish to start construction during the high season so as not to give any inconvenience to tourists. At the end of the high season the urgency for an improved  road network disappears and is forgotten again until the next high season appears.

© 2006 All-Phuket.Com