Travellers Face Crowded Phuket Airport as New Flights Drive Expansion

Holidaymakers stepping off packed jets at Phuket’s single-runway airport this high season are not just noticing longer taxi queues – they are witnessing the clearest sign yet that the island’s visitor economy has almost clawed its way back to pre-Covid strength, with fresh growth still in the pipeline.

Quick Glance

• 17.4 M passengers pushed through Phuket International in 2025, only a whisker below the 2019 record.

• Direct flights from Europe, the CIS bloc and new Middle-East routes are fuelling momentum.

• Authorities are racing to deliver Phase 2 expansion that will raise capacity to 18 M travellers a year.

• Sustainability targets include a "Green Airport" pledge and upgraded waste-water treatment.

• Crowd management and ground transport bottlenecks remain the island’s biggest headache.

Flights Are Back – And Then Some

Aircraft movements are piling up on airport screens again. In 2025 Phuket logged 106,581 take-offs and landings – a figure sitting at 92 % of the 2019 peak and 2.8 % higher than 2024. The domestic-international split has tilted overseas, with 57,819 international sectors outpacing the 48,762 domestic legs, confirming Phuket’s role as Thailand’s second global gateway after Suvarnabhumi.Most eye-catching was the arrival of Belavia’s Minsk-Phuket service, the first ever nonstop link between Belarus and the Andaman coast, landing on 12 January with 281 delighted snow-chasers.

What’s Powering The Surge?

Travel analysts single out four intertwined engines:

Visa-on-arrival waivers for short-haul and key long-haul markets that ease spontaneous trips.

A wave of new carriers – Norse Atlantic, Air France, Centrum Air – filling in the long-haul map left blank during the pandemic.

A deliberate pivot toward high-spending tourists, lengthening average stays and raising per-head revenue even as Chinese arrivals remain at roughly 60 % of 2019.

A calendar crammed with headline events such as the Thailand Biennale Phuket, the neon-drenched Patong Paradise Festival, and forthcoming mega-shows like EDC Thailand 2026.

Capacity Crunch & The Race To Expand

Anyone who has crawled through immigration at 10 pm knows the building is running hot. The current terminals were designed for 12.5 M passengers, a ceiling comfortably breached since late 2022. Phase 2 of the upgrade masterplan therefore reads like an emergency manual:

• 177,000 sqm extra floor space for the international terminal;

• Three additional aircraft stands plus a dedicated ground-service-equipment apron;

• Utility revamps spanning power, water and traffic circulation;

• Target completion around 2029, subject to environmental green lights.Private investors are even pitching a separate maintenance hub and satellite pier on 500 rai east of the runway, signalling confidence that Phuket can support far more than today’s 25 parking bays and single runway.

Going Green In The Andaman

Airports of Thailand (AOT) insists the concrete push will not eclipse ecological duties. Under its GREEN AIRPORTS framework, Phuket is rolling out:

• ISO-aligned environmental management that tracks noise, air quality and biodiversity;

• A larger sewage-treatment plant able to recycle water for landscape irrigation;

• Pilot programs for solar rooftops and electric ground vehicles;

• Continuous EIA consultations with local fishing communities who share the Mai Khao coastal strip.The goal, executives say, is a "World-Class Hospitality" ethos that marries visitor comfort with carbon-aware operations – a selling point increasingly decisive for European travellers.

Why This Matters For Travellers Living In Thailand

Bangkok-based residents pondering a beach break will notice two things this year: first, airfares on the BKK-HKT shuttle remain steep because belly space is being squeezed by inbound foreigners; second, arrival formalities can now rival Suvarnabhumi at peak times. Booking outside Friday evening peaks or trying new regional carriers via Don Mueang might shave both time and baht.For entrepreneurs, the revival underpins Phuket’s push to secure ฿605 B in tourism receipts by 2026, expanding opportunities in wellness retreats, yacht services and MICE events.

Looking Ahead To 2026

Industry forecasters see throughput nudging the magic 18 M-passenger mark next year, effectively maxing out current infrastructure. The missing pieces will be a full Chinese rebound, progress on the four-lane Highway 4027 upgrade, and clarity on whether Thai Airways will restore dedicated long-haul Phuket flights. Ticking those boxes could cement the island’s ambition to be Southeast Asia’s boutique aviation hub, not merely a beach playground.

Bottom line: Phuket’s airport is bustling again, its planners are scrambling, and anyone with a stake in Thai tourism should keep one eye on the runway – and the construction cranes beside it.