Airports of Thailand (AOT) has signed a 25 year contract with a third ground handling and cargo operator at Suvarnabhumi Airport, following a baggage backlog and flight delays involving Thai Airways.
AOT and Airports of Thailand Ground Aviation Services (AOTGA) signed the public-private partnership deal on 8 October. It covers ground support equipment, ramp and passenger handling, and a new cargo warehouse service at the airport.
AOTGA will start ground services in 2027 and needs about 23 months to build and prepare the cargo facilities. The contract includes KPIs for service performance, with penalties and fines if AOTGA fails to meet them.
Pawina Jariyathitipong, AOT president, signed for the airport operator, and Siriwat Tovajirakul, AOTGA general manager, signed for the company. Sirote Duangrat, AOT deputy president for business development and marketing, and General Supawat Cherdtham, AOTGA chairman, attended as witnesses.
AOT said the deal follows Section 36 of the Public-Private Partnership Act 2019. The Cabinet approved the selection result and key contract terms on 8 September, as proposed by the Transport Ministry.
AOT said the third operator will give airlines more choice and help keep airport services running without interruption under its business continuity plan. It also aims to handle growing flight and cargo volumes.
Backup for two near-full operators
Pawina said earlier that the new operator will add flexibility and support up to about 60 million passengers a year. She said it will also ease the workload on the two existing providers, which are close to full capacity, and act as a backup when problems or heavy workloads arise.
On 5 October, Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Pipat Ratchakitprakarn said Thai Airways flights had been fully normal since the night of 3 October. About 600 bags were still waiting to be collected, he said. Around 200 passengers were collecting theirs, and AOT was trying to contact the owners of the other 400.
Pipat said AOT’s contract with Thai Airways contains no penalties, so AOT cannot fine the airline. He said he had ordered AOT to include penalties in the AOTGA contract.
In related news:
- Suvarnabhumi baggage backlog tied to outsourced ground staff
- Thailand airports to allow baggage inspections without passengers
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