Mae Fah Luang – Chiang Rai International Airport is in Ban Du subdistrict, Mueang Chiang Rai district, Chiang Rai province in northern Thailand. 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. 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. 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.

In 2014, Airports of Thailand (AOT) 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.

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. However, there are still no international flights operating to the airport. Airports of Thailand has approved expansion plans for the airport to attract international carriers and improve the experience for passengers using the airport's facilities. This includes improvements to the airport's entrance and exit roads, the construction of a Maintenance Repair Operation centre (MRO) for aircraft maintenance, and the construction of a parallel taxiway.

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.

Statistics

Traffic by calendar year + Comparison of passenger volume, aircraft movements and cargo volume at Mae Fah Luang – Chiang Rai International Airport, by year Year Passengers Change fromprevious year Movements Cargo(tons) Notes 2003 417,345 – 3,710 4,238 2004 554,364 32.83% 4,879 4,879 2005 677,407 22.2% 4,927 5,070 2006 696,492 2.82% 5,659 4,753 2007 711,662 2.18% 6,232 2,919 2008 772,286 8.52% 6,734 2,527 2009 648,783 15.99% 5,546 2,287 2010 724,241 11.63% 5,714 2,626 2011 818,163 12.67% 5,819 4,306 2012 986,436 20.57% 7,138 4,755 2013 1,089,232 10.42% 7,181 4,440 2014 1,379,022 26.6% 10,985 3,556 2015 1,745,568 26.58% 13,402 4,491 2016 2,060,200 18.02% 14,590 4,719 2017 2,503,375 21.51% 17,661 4,288 2018 2,867,289 14.54% 20,072 3,531 2019 2,928,881 2.15% 20,128 2,535 2020 1,513,294 48.33% 12,126 963 2021 710,408 53.06% 6,131 586 2022 1,686,726 137.43% 11,920 920 2023 1,920,228 13.84% 12,485 875 2024 1,912,859 0.38% 12,449 955 2025 1,981,088 3.57% 12,868 871

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 six 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. The airport was closed until the aircraft and foreign object debris (FOD) could be moved away from the runway. The airport reopened and continued operations as normal six days later.

See also Old Chiang Rai Airport (no longer operational)

References

External links

Mae Fah Luang – Chiang Rai International Airport, official site