Air-traffic control firm to boost fees
Aeronautical Radio of Thailand Ltd, a state-owned air-traffic control company, will increase its fees 16 per cent once it moves its operations to Suvarnabhumi Airport from Don Muang Airport on September 28.
The company currently charges Bt8,900 per flight, but that will increase to Bt10,000. Company president Priti Hetrahul said that despite the rate increase, charges were still lower than at most airports in Asia including Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Korea and the countries of Indochina. Only Malaysia's airport rate is lower by 30 per cent, largely because the government absorbs the excess costs. Priti said the company had spent Bt3 billion establishing operations at the new airport. Most of the money went into navigation systems, buildings and infrastructure. "We have built an automatic dependence surveillance system, the satellite-based system that the International Civil Aviation Organisation recommends that contracting states utilise in the place of radar. This will be installed at the control tower to provide air traffic controllers with aircraft movement without flight level limitations," he said. The company expects 10 per cent more work in the first year of operations at Suvarnabhumi. The added business combined with the fee hike should increase its annual take to Bt3.9 billion per year from the current Bt3.5 billion. "Overall air travel is projected to increase 8-10 per cent. So we have more opportunities," said Priti. He said the company was ready for full operations at the new airport, which has the capacity to serve up to 1,300 flights per day, compared to 800 at Don Muang.
Suchat Sritama The Nation
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