PUBLISHED: 21 Mar 2025 at 05: 00
According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand ( CAAT ), Suvarnabhumi airport has been designated as a center for small- to medium-scale maintenance, and U-Tapao airport in Rayong is in charge of large-scale aircraft servicing in accordance with a plan to secure Thailand’s position as a regional aviation hub.
The CAAT is making progress with its plans to establish MRO ( Majority of Repair and Operation ) centers and encourage the growth of the air cargo industry.
ACM Manat Chavanaprayoon, chairman of the CAAT, stated after taking over the top position that the MRO plan aims to improve the service offerings for Thai airlines. With the plan, they can inspect and maintain an aeroplane right away upon landing.
The main doorway to the nation, Suvarnabhumi, handles a lot of airlines every day. It does not, however, have an on-site maintenance facility for plane. He claimed that such a facility must be constructed to make Thailand the aircraft gateway of the area.
The CAAT is working on a king plan to implement the MRO coverage, which is expected to be completed in a year.
A 700-rai plot of land north of Suvarnabhumi Airport will be converted into small and medium-sized aviation repair services as the first step of the plan.
The amenities include training facilities for aircraft technicians and instructors who are trained to be aviation maintenance technicians.
With its high-quality repair service offerings, these innovations aim to draw airlines to Suvarnabhumi.
Under the Eastern Economic Corridor ( EEC ) policy, U-Tapao Airport will also function as a hub for large aircraft maintenance.
The CAAT may make the job more quickly realized, which would save flights money by preventing them from having to send their planes for repair elsewhere. Additionally, the task will attract both domestic and foreign investors.
The CAAT is even focusing on expanding Thailand’s heat goods industry, which is run by only a few Thai-registered flights.
One significant challenge is posed by the law that mandates that an air cargo company in the country be 51 % Thai-owned. Several Thai people believe that the condition is also expensive to invest in.
The director claims that constitutional reforms will be pursued to reduce the Thai rights cap to 20 %. He claimed that the Thai company could later be wholly owned by Thais after five years when the cap was reduced to 30 %.