Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak presided over the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Airways International Public Company Limited (THAI) and Airbus to evaluate the development of a major new maintenance and overhaul (MRO) facility at U-Tapao International Airport.
Jatusripitak said that Airbus’s decision to construct the MRO facility in Thailand and establish a partnership with the Kingdom demonstrates Thailand’s capability as the aviation hub of the Asia Pacific region.
40% of the aircrafts manufactured by Airbus are imported to Asia. All of these vehicles will require maintenance, so this joint investment will further bolster the Thai economy.
He thinks the Thai economy will grow a lot more within the next 3-4 years, with the various investment projects lined up this year, under the condition that there will be no further internal conflicts.
Airbus President Fabrice Bregier said that this project will help meet the strong demands of maintenance in the growing Asia-Pacific region, with air fleets in the region tripling to over 15,000 aircrafts over the next 20 years.
This project is a part of the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) development plan 2017-2021. This will drive Thailand to become the most modern MRO Center in the Asia-Pacific, equipped with the best innovation and technology that adheres to international standards, and support other aviation business industries, bringing the country closer towards Thailand 4.0 as the future Gateway to Asia. (NNT)
