Bangkok: The cabinet has approved a new initiative allowing private companies to propose leasing the U-Tapao Aircraft Maintenance Center. This decision follows Thai Airways' loss of its state enterprise status, which previously permitted it to co-invest in the facility.
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Anukul Prueksanusak, the deputy government spokesman, announced that the cabinet acknowledged the Eastern Economic Corridor Policy Committee (EECPC) resolution No. 4/2567. This resolution aims to advance the U-Tapao Aircraft Maintenance Center project, which was initially set forth by a cabinet resolution on October 30, 2018. The original plan designated the Royal Thai Navy to oversee the construction of a new maintenance center building, with Thai Airways International Public Company Limited partnering with the private sector to design, procure, and install necessary equipment and tools for the facility. The goal was to operate and maintain the center for up to 50 years.
Currently, Thai Airways International Public Company Limited is no longer a state enterprise due to changes in relevant laws, rendering it ineligible to serve as the project owner under the private sector joint investment plan or the PPP EEC Track. Consequently, the guidelines have been adjusted to permit other private entities to bid or lease space for establishing a new aircraft maintenance center. Relevant agencies have expressed no objections to this policy shift.