The number of tourist arrivals at Samui airport in 2023 reached 2.2 million people, marking a 66.65% increase from the year before.
A total of 2,273,351 tourists arrived at Koh Samui, an island off the east coast of Thailand, by air last year, Jirawat Wutthiwatworakun, director of Koh Samui International Airport said.
In December alone, 207,096 passengers entering and leaving the popular tourist island via Samui airport, reflecting a 15.25% increase compared to the same period in 2022. The number of flights in December was 2,497, said the official.
Last year Koh Samui International Airport almost fully recovered from the Covid-19 downturn, reaching 94% of 2019 traffic.
The number of outbound passengers using the airport in 2023 was 1.13 million, an increase of 472,122 people or +70% compared to 2022.
Passengers traveling on domestic routes were 863,641 in 2023 vs 686,197 in 2019.
International passengers were 276,007 people vs 522,685 in 2019.
There were altogether 12,628 flights to/from Koh Samui International Airport in 2023, an increase of 4,739 flights or +60% compared to 2022.
Bangkok Airways reported a total revenue of 21.7 billion baht (605M,-USD) and a net profit of 3.18 billion baht (88.7M,-USD) for 2023. The airline transported a total of 3.97 million passengers last year.
Previously, in Dec 2023, the airline disclosed that 65% of its revenue is generated on routes to/from Samui. The number of passengers to/from Koh Samui airport almost doubled vs 2022 to 1.8 million by the end of Sep 2023.
42% of its sales originates from outside Thailand with Germany being the largest market in Europe and Australia the largest in Asia-Pacific.
With the continuous rise in passenger arrivals, the airport has proposed an increase in daily flights to 73, along with plans to develop the airport to accommodate more than 2 million tourists. The island currently welcomes about 50 flights a day.
The airport will also bring in technologies, such as an automatic check-in system or public relations signs that can change messages automatically, he said.
The airport has installed an additional X-ray scan at the main gate to reduce passenger congestion before entering the terminal, and a conveyor belt for larger luggage has also been added. The airport's landscape has been redesigned for increased comfort, transforming it into a green airport conducive to relaxation, said Mr Jirawat.
The island continuous to attract tourists primarly from Europe, U.S. and Australia. Despite visa-free travel for Chinese nationals, the resurgence of this market is slower than anticipated.
(Source: BA Airport Leasehold Real Estate Investment Trust, Bangkok Post, CAAT, C9)