Udon Thani International Airport
{{Short description|Airport in northeastern Thailand}}
{{for|the military use of this facility|Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base}}
{{Infobox airport
| name = {{nowrap|Udon Thani International Airport}}
| nativename = {{lang|th|ท่าอากาศยานอุดรธานี}}
| nativename-r =
| image = Udon Thani terminal,Thailand (27412478245).jpg
| image-width =
| caption =
| IATA = UTH
| ICAO = VTUD
| pushpin_map = Thailand
| pushpin_map_caption = Location of airport in Thailand
| mapframe = yes
| image_map = {{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|type=shape|stroke-width=2|stroke-color=#000000|zoom=12|frame-latitude=17.386389|frame-longitude=102.788333}}
| pushpin_label = UTH/VTUD
| pushpin_label_position = right
| type = Public / military
| owner = Royal Thai Air Force
| operator = Department of Airports
| city-served = Udon Thani
| location = Tambon Nong Khon Kwang, Amphoe Mueang Udon Thani, Udon Thani, Thailand
| opened = {{start date and age|1932|||df=yes}}
| elevation-f = 579
| elevation-m = 176
| coordinates = {{Coord|17|23|11|N|102|47|18|E|type:airport|display=inline,title}}
| website = {{URL|minisite.airports.go.th/udonthani}}
| metric-elev = yes
| r1-number = 12/30
| r1-length-f = 10,000
| r1-length-m = 3,048
| r1-surface = Asphalt
| metric-rwy = yes
| stat-year = 2024
| stat1-header = Total passengers
| stat1-data = 1,766,409 {{decrease}}6.96%%
| stat2-header = Aircraft movements
| stat2-data = 11,687 {{decrease}}9.11%
| stat3-header = Freight (tonnes)
| stat3-data = 423.38 {{increase}}3.34%
| footnotes = Sources: [https://app.powerbi.com/view?r=eyJrIjoiNThhZTJkNzYtOWQ1NC00OWEzLTgwNDctMTliYmU0ZTVhYmI4IiwidCI6IjdhOWZmNDg0LWZiMDctNDI3Zi05Y2QyLWJjMjUzOTU1ZGI0YSIsImMiOjEwfQ%3D%3D Department of Airports]
}}
Udon Thani International Airport {{airport codes|UTH|VTUD}} is in Tambon Nong Khon Kwang, Amphoe Mueang Udon Thani, Udon Thani province in Northeastern Thailand. It is approximately {{convert|450.|km|mi}} northeast of Bangkok. It currently has domestic flights to and from Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang), Chiang Mai (on Nok Air), Hat Yai (on Thai Lion Air), Phuket (on Thai AirAsia), Rayong (on Thai AirAsia), and Ubon Ratchathani (on Nok Air). In 2006, the airport had 677,411 passenger movements and 1,558 MT cargo movements. In 2013, the airport handled 1,325,305 passengers.{{Cite web |url=http://www.aviation.go.th/upload/download/file_9945dbf5bfdba7af706a15cdbce3e965.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2015-01-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150218120237/http://www.aviation.go.th/upload/download/file_9945dbf5bfdba7af706a15cdbce3e965.pdf |archive-date=2015-02-18 |url-status=dead }} In 2015, it handled 2,213,689 passengers and 3,678 tonnes of freight.{{Cite web |url=http://www.aviation.go.th/upload/download/file_3c77a04b3e42e347f3f46c9c944617d3.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2016-04-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160419051931/http://www.aviation.go.th/upload/download/file_3c77a04b3e42e347f3f46c9c944617d3.pdf |archive-date=2016-04-19 |url-status=dead }} It has been managed by the Department of Airports (DOA).
Udon Thani Airport is the DOA's moneymaker, with profits reaching 100 million baht a year.{{cite news |title=AoT to take control of four airports |url=https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/tourism-and-transport/1616606/aot-to-take-control-of-four-airports |access-date=2019-01-26 |work=Bangkok Post |date=2019-01-24}} This airport was scheduled to be transferred to Airports of Thailand PCL (AOT) in the first half of 2023.{{citation|title=เคาะ AOT|date=February 9, 2023|url=https://thunhoon.com/article/267742}}
History
File:UdonThaniAirportTerminal.JPG
During the Vietnam War the facility was known as Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base, serving as a front-line base of the United States Air Force and was the Asian headquarters for Air America.
On 8 February 2006, an international group of skydivers from 31 countries called the "World Team" set a world record for the largest freefall formation, a 400-way,{{cite web |title=Record |url=https://www.fai.org/record/13052 |website=Fédération Aéronautique Internationale |date=10 October 2017 |access-date=1 June 2020}} over the Udon Thani airport.
Airlines and destinations
{{airport-dest-list
| Nok Air | Bangkok–Don Mueang, Chiang Mai
| Thai AirAsia | Bangkok–Don Mueang, Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi,{{cite web|title=Thai AirAsia 1Q25 Domestic Network Additions|url=https://www.aeroroutes.com/eng/241202-fd1q25th}} Phuket
| {{nowrap|Thai Airways International}} | Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi{{cite web |title=Thai Airways International NW23 Preliminary Domestic Network – 27AUG23 |url=https://www.aeroroutes.com/eng/230828-tgnw23dom |website=Aeroroutes |access-date=28 August 2023}}
| Thai Lion Air | Bangkok–Don Mueang, Hat Yai, Pattaya (begins 11 June 2025){{cite web |title=Thai Lion Air June 2025 Domestic Routes Addition |url=https://www.aeroroutes.com/eng/250421-sljun25th |website=Aeroroutes |access-date=21 April 2025}}
| Thai VietJet Air | Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi
}}
Military use
As well as being a commercial facility, Udon Thani International Airport is also an active Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) base, the home of Wing 23, 2nd Air Division Air Combat Command. The 231 Squadron flies 17 (out of 18 delivered) Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet airplanes acquired second-hand from the German Air Force and delivered in 2001. The squadron previously flew F-5A/RF-5A/F-5B Freedom Fighter airplanes.
Plans
Airports of Thailand (AOT) budgeted 220 billion baht in 2018 for the creation of two new airports and the expansion of four existing airports owned by the Department of Airports. Udon Thani is one of the four slated for expansion and AOT management. AOT intends to build Chiang Mai 2 in Lamphun Province and Phuket Airport 2 in Phang Nga Province. The three other existing airports to be managed by AOT are Chumphon Airport, Sakon Nakhon Airport, and Tak Airport.{{cite news |last1=Sritama |first1=Suchat |title=Bursting the Tourism Bubble |url=https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/special-reports/1512010/Bursting-thetourism-bubble |access-date=4 August 2018 |work=Bangkok Post |date=29 July 2018}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Portal|Thailand|Aviation}}
{{commons category-inline|Udon Thani International Airport}}
{{Wikivoyage-inline|Udon Thani}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20131214133432/http://minisite.aviation.go.th/home.php?site=udornthani Udon Thani International Airport homepage]
{{Airports in Thailand}}
{{authority control}}