Betong Airport In Yala To Open In June 2020

Betong Airport in Betong district, Yala province, will be open in June 2020, which will facilitate travel to and from the southern border provinces and boost the local economy and tourism.

In the initial stage, staff operating at this airport will be recruited from experienced personnel working at various other airports. In early 2020, applications will be opened for interested persons wanting to serve as personnel at Betong Airport. Negotiations are now underway on the operations of the airlines that will utilize the airport.

The airport building has phai tong, or sweet bamboo, as the symbol. In the Malay language, "betong" means bamboo, which is used as the principal motif in decorating the airport terminals.

The runway is 1,800 meters in length, which can accommodate aircraft of 70-80 seats, and has an apron for three airplanes and a helipad for two helicopters. The airport covers an area of 920 rai, or 368 acres.

Betong Airport can accommodate more than 1,000 passengers a day. It will be the 29^th regional airport under the supervision of the Department of Airports.

A plan is being worked out to expand the runway by another 300 meters, so that it will be able to accommodate larger aircraft in the future.

Betong is part of the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle project, which aims to stimulate economic development in the three countries. Betong Airport is likely to bring a greater number of visitors to Yala and contribute to peacebuilding in the deep South.