Chiang Mai airport 2B regional hub ready for Kunming direct flight 10 Sep’10

With the completion of its 2-billion-baht expansion, Chiang Mai International Airport now has an infrastructure that can support its aspiration to become a truly regional aviation hub. The new terminal takes a hint of inspiration from the style of the ancient Kingdom of Lanna, in what is now northern Thailand. The building covers 31,301 square metres and is designed to handle 2 million international passengers and 6 million domestic travellers.With the completion of the Chiang Mai expansion, AoT will begin to seriously woo international carriers to make Chiang Mai their port of call. Its immediate target is to attract Chinese airlines to link Chiang Mai with Kunming, the route that Thai Airways International (THAI) used to run, said the airport’s general manager Wisit Eiwprapha.
Eight international airlines operate through Chiang Mai with a total of 50 flights per week. They are THAI, Bangkok Airways, China Airlines, SilkAir, Lao Aviation, AirAsia, Korean Air and Air Bagan.Six domestic carriers – THAI, Bangkok Airways, Orient Thai Airlines, Nor Air and Nok Mini – run 465 flights a week through Chiang Mai.
AoT president Serirat Prasutanond said the upgrade of facilities and services at Chiang Mai has made the airport eligible to contest to become one of the world’s best airports in the category of processing fewer than 5 million passengers a year. It will this year join the customer satisfaction rating conducted by the Geneva-based Airports Council International (ACI). (Ref: Bangkok Post News>3/03/2010)

Good news for travelers to/from China! China Eastern Airline will open direct flight Chiang Mai-Kunming(China)-Chiang Mai. First flight start 10 Sep.’10. 2 flight/week(Mon.,Fri.).