BANGKOK, April 17 (Xinhua) -- The Thai cabinet approved on Wednesday the project of Airports Of Thailand Public Company Limited to build a third runway at Suvarnabhumi international airport with a 21.79 billion baht (about 660 million U.S. dollars) budget.
The runway project will be implemented after an environmental health impact assessment report is approved by the National Environment Commission.
The project is expected to get started later this year and to be completed in 2022, according to the Ministry of Transport.
Suvarnabhumi airport currently has two runways with a combined capacity to accommodate 68 flights per hour, which would be reduced to only 34 flights per hour in case of repair or emergency closure. However, as many as 50 flights per hour are currently accommodated at the airport, thus causing airborne and ground delays and wasting away the airliners' fuels.
The 4,000-meter-by-60-meter runway will be built on the western side of the airport, equipped with drainage and visual aid systems and a rescue and fire fighting unit.
Given the third runway, Suvarnabhumi airport will be able to accommodate 94 flights per hour and to deserve the opportunity to become a regional aviation hub for the future's increased air traffic.
