Airport Organisation of Thailand (AOT)’s Route Development Forum for Asia 2023

 | Tue 14 Feb 2023 18:10 ICT

Between 14th and 16th February there is The Route Development Forum for Asia 2023, which is the largest commercial aviation business meeting in Asia, held at the International Conference Centre on the Canal Road. 

The director of AOT, Nitinai Sirismatthakarn, said at the forum earlier today that the total numbers of arrivals at AOT international airports have reduced from 142 million per year in 2018 to 72 million last year, a drop of around 59% between 2020-2022.

“As everyone knows, the ongoing Covid-19 situation has immensely impacted businesses worldwide,” said director Nitinai at the opening speech. “Especially the aviation industry according to ICAO. In 2021 the global passenger traffic decreased by 2.2 billion or 49% whereas international passengers plunged significantly by 91% in Asia-Pacific.”

“Here in Chiang Mai it is noticeable that we are surrounded by the beauty of mountainous nature, authentic and ancient cultures, well-preserved historical sites,and welcoming locals. All of these make Chiang Mai a perfect place to bring everyone together to not only create business collaborations but also experience what the gem of Northern Thailand has to offer.” 

“As of the 5th February 2023, there have been 2.5 million tourists arriving in Thailand since the beginning of the year,” said, Siripakorn Cheawsamoot, Deputy Governor for the International Marketing of Europe, Africa, Middle East and America’s Tourism Authority of Thailand. “These tourists have to date generated over 2.47 billion USD for the economy. The expected number of visitors this year is 25 million people, generating 42.8 billion USD for the tourism revenue.”

“We will focus on these approaches for the coming year,” he continued. “Firstly China is back, with flights resuming, and the overland/high speed train and river cruises showing potential. To that end we will focus on celebrity marketing and networking on a worldwide platform. Responsible tourism is another area we will focus on.”

Paul Burton, Managing Director, Asia-Pacific Aviation Week Network also gave a talk on Market Forecast and Overview, telling the audience that Chinese airports and airlines will be playing catchup in 2023 with more route re-development activities following vast investment of Asian airlines in marketing and exposure. There is also a very strong drive to invest in sustainable technology which could bring many changes to the industry. Signs of this change are already clear with recovery at Chinese airports ranging from 13% at Beijing Capital to 42% at Shenzhen Airport between nearly 2020 until now.

He went on to talk about U-tapao Airport’s eight billion USD expansion, three Bangkok airports can now target up to 200 million passengers per year. 

This event is not open to the public.