Chiang Rai International Airport
Mae Fah Luang - Chiang Rai International Airport (IATA: CEI, ICAO: VTCT) is in Ban Du subdistrict, Mueang Chiang Rai district, Chiang Rai province in northern Thailand.[2] The airport is about 8 km from the city center. Since 1998, it has been managed by the Airports of Thailand Public Company Limited (AOT). In 2013, the airport handled over 1,000,000 passengers and 7,000 passenger flights.[3] The airport had international flight facilities and served a few international routes to Macau, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Kunming, Haikou, Hangzhou, Changsha, Xishuangbanna, Shenzhen, and Chengdu, all of which were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[4][5] Since travel restrictions were imposed in China, there have been no international commercial flights connecting Chiang Rai to the global market. Thus, the airport has been seeking other possible routes to connect to such as to South Korea.[6]
Mae Fah Luang - Chiang Rai International Airport ท่าอากาศยานแม่ฟ้าหลวง เชียงราย | |||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
| Owner/Operator | |||||||||||
| Serves | Chiang Rai / Phayao | ||||||||||
| Location | Ban Du, Mueang Chiang Rai, Chiang Rai, Thailand | ||||||||||
| Opened | 5 August 1992 | ||||||||||
| Operating base for | Thai AirAsia | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 390 m / 1,280 ft | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 19°57′08″N 99°52′58″E / 19.95222°N 99.88278°E | ||||||||||
| Website | chiangrai | ||||||||||
| Maps | |||||||||||
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  CEI/VTCT Location of airport in Thailand | |||||||||||
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| Runways | |||||||||||
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| Statistics (2023) | |||||||||||
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Source: Airports of Thailand[1] | |||||||||||
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In 2014, Airports of Thailand announced that they would expand Chiang Rai airport. The plans include building an additional taxiway and more shops, and possibly extending the runway. This should be completed in 2030.[7]
Chiang Rai International Airport was named "Mae Fah Luang", after Princess Srinagarindra, mother of the previous monarch, Bhumibol Adulyadej, reigning under the dynastic name of Rama IX.
Expansion
Since the relaxation of COVID-19 travel restrictions, the airport is handling approximately 3,900 passengers per day.[6] However, there are still no international flights operating to the airport. The Airports of Thailand (AOT) has approved expansion plans of the airport to attract international carriers and improve the experience for passengers using the airports facilities. This includes improvements of the airport's entrance and exit roads, construction of a Maintenance Repair Operation centre (MRO) for aircraft maintenance, and construction of a parallel taxiway.[8]
The construction of the aircraft maintenance facility is set to be completed by 31 July 2023. The facility will be able to service and repair large Airbus and Boeing aircraft from China. The airport will also become a cargo transportation hub for the northern region of Thailand.[6]
Statistics
Traffic by calendar year
| Year | Passengers | Change from previous year | Movements | Cargo (tons) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 1,745,568 | – | 13,402 | 5,273 | [9] |
| 2016 | 2,060,200 |  16.78% | 14,590 | 5,484 | [10] |
| 2017 | 2,503,375 | 21.51% | 17,661 | 4,827 | [11] |
| 2018 | 2,867,289 | 14.54% | 20,072 | 3,545 | [12] |
| 2019 | 2,928,733 | 2.14% | 20,129 | 2,537 | [13] |
| 2020 | 1,513,294 |  48.33% | 12,126 | 963 | [14] |
| 2021 | 710,408 | 53.06% | 6,131 | 586 | [15] |
| 2022 | 1,686,726 | 137.43% | 11,920 | 920 | [16] |
| 2023 | 1,920,228 | 13.84% | 12,485 | 875 | [16] |
Airlines and destinations
Accidents and incidents
- 30 July 2022: Nok Air Flight 108, a Boeing 737-800 (registered HS-DBR) from Bangkok Don Muang to Chiang Rai with 164 passengers and 6 crew, landed on Chiang Rai's runway 03 at 21:04L (14:04Z) but veered left off the runway and came to a stop all wheels off the paved runway. There were no injuries reported.[17] The airport was closed until the aircraft and foreign object debris (FOD) could be moved away from the runway.[18] The airport reopened and continued operations as normal 6 days later.[19]
See also
- Old Chiang Rai Airport (no longer operational)
Notelist
References
External links
Chiang Rai travel guide from Wikivoyage
- Mae Fah Luang-Chiang Rai International Airport, Official site