Udon Thani International Airport

Udon Thani International Airport is in the Nong Khon Kwang subdistrict, Mueang Udon Thani district, Udon Thani province in northeastern Thailand. It is approximately northeast of Bangkok. It currently has domestic flights to and from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Hat Yai, Phuket, Rayong, and Ubon Ratchathani. In 2006, the airport had 677,411 passenger movements and 1,558 MT cargo movements. In 2013, the airport handled 1,325,305 passengers. In 2015, it handled 2,213,689 passengers and 3,678 tonnes of freight. It has been managed by the Department of Airports.
Udon Thani Airport is the DOA's moneymaker, with profits reaching 100 million baht a year. This airport was scheduled to be transferred to Airports of Thailand PCL in the first half of 2023.

History

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, over the Udon Thani airport.

As well as being a commercial facility, Udon Thani International Airport is also an active Royal Thai Air Force base, the home of Wing 23, 2nd Air Division Air Combat Command. The 231 Squadron flies 17 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.

Airports of Thailand 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.