Thai Aviation Industries (TAI) plans to open a business aviation facility in Bangkok with Gulfstream, while air taxi company Royal Group is looking to expand its newly opened facility with Hawker Pacific.
TAI is proposing building a VIP lounge and customs facility at Don Muang airport, where it now maintains small civil and military training aircraft. TAI says it is interested in expanding into corporate aircraft and is talking to Gulfstream about providing maintenance support. TAI seeks to handle Gulfstream business jets landing at Don Muang and provide operators with parking, light maintenance, a VIP lounge, customs and a crew room.
The new facility would initially be available to Gulfstream operators only, but TAI says it may open the site to operators of other types. Government-owned TAI was established in 2004 using air force maintenance resources and operates on the military side of Don Muang.
Bangkok-based Royal Group opened Thailand’s first business aviation facility this year near Don Muang’s airline terminal. Royal Group says it is now operating a fixed-base operation, with a VIP lounge and ground-handling services, under a new licence issued by Thailand’s transport ministry.
Royal Group now uses an airports authority-owned hangar to maintain its three Cessna 172/182s, but is considering opening a larger facility to handle Beechcraft King Airs.
Source: Flight International
