EECO planned to open bidding for MRO next year

Chatrudee Theparat

EECO planned to open bidding for MRO next year

Eastern Economic Corridor Office planned to open bidding for a maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) centre development project in the Eastern Economic Corridor next year.

Mr Chula Sukmanop, secretary general of the Eastern Economic Corridor Office (EECO) said the agency planned to revise an investment of a maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) centre within the first quarter next year.

“The agency will ask the Thai Airways international Public Limited (THAI) in the first quarter next year whether to invest in MRO project. If THAI is unwilling to invest the project. Later, the agency planned to announce term of reference (ToR) to open a bidding as public private partnership (PPP) in order to support Thailand’s ambitious to become aviation hub.”

The agency reserved a 200 rai in aviation city for THAI’s MRO project which is part of the Eastern Airport City Project at U-tapao airport, also known as "aerotropolis" in Rayong province.

He said the bidding should be based on a principle that the winner should be a bidder who offer a minimum fees of service in a bid to compete other MROs in the region such as Singapore.

Currently MROs in the region are in Singapore and China which are likely to have congestion once the full recovering of aviation industry in the near future.

In 2018, Thai Airways International (THAI) and Airbus Commercial Aircraft formed a joint venture to run the MRO, but the national flag carrier has filed for bankruptcy protection, following losse.s during travel restrictions caused by pandemic.

Mr Chula said MRO development project should have two operators while earlier the government has prepared 500 rai for U-tapao airport development, with 200 rai given to THAI.

The U-tapao airport upgrade is one of the key investment projects worth 905 billion baht, or 55% of total investment comprising 1.7 trillion baht.

The development includes construction of the second runway and taxiway and the third terminal, as well as development of aviation facilities, including the MRO and an aviation training centre.

The U-Tapao International Aviation Co(UTA )and the Royal Thai Navy will speed up for the construction of the second runway and taxiway worth 16.4 billion baht on the requirement of the government.

Mr Chula said the agency has already expropriated 2,000 rai for a smart city in Bang Lamung District. The rest 3,000 rai will be expropriated next year with a 1.7 billion baht of a fiscal budget 2023. The agency is allocated two billion baht budget in fiscal budget 2023 and 4.7 billion baht of integrated budget.