H.E. Mr. Somkid Jatusripitak, Deputy Prime Minister, presided over the THAI-Airbus signing ceremony for a Cooperation Agreement between Airbus and Thai Airways International Public Company Limited (THAI). The agreement will assess MRO business opportunities at U-Tapao Airport, which will enable THAI and Airbus to establish the MRO center for the Asia Pacific region.

Guests of honour included H.E. Mr. Uttama Savanayama, Minister of Industry, Mr. Pairin Chuchotethavorn, Deputy Minister of Transport, and Mr. Kanit Sangsubhan, Secretary-General, Eastern Economic Corridor Office of Thailand, H.E. Mr. Sihasak Phuangketkeow, Thai Ambassador to France, H.E. Mr. Peter Prügel, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, The Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, representatives of France, United Kingdom, Spain, and the European Union in Thailand, and THAI Board of Directors. The Cooperation Agreement was signed by Mrs. Usanee Sangsingkeo, THAI acting president, and Mr. Jean-Francois Laval, Airbus executive vice president for Customer Affairs.

Mrs. Usanee Sangsingkeo, said that the U-Tapao Airport Development Project is one of several important EEC development projects and is a vitally important project for Thailand. This signing ceremony reflects a long-standing and strong partnership between THAI and Airbus in developing the MRO Development Project at U-Tapao in support of the Government’s EEC Development Project. It also reflects the progress and effectiveness of the project following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on March 8, 2017, whereby feasibility study results proved satisfactory for both companies.

The project feasibility and appraisal report has been submitted to all related state agencies for consideration and will be submitted to the EEC Policy Committee, which is chaired by the Prime Minister, for further consideration and approval.