BURI RAM, THAILAND – Buriram International Airport officially began full operations on 1 March 2025, with 19 scheduled flight movements on its opening day from early morning until just before midnight.
Seven airlines launch services to Buriram
Low-cost carrier Thai AirAsia dominated the first full schedule, operating a total of eight daily connections between Bangkok’s Don Mueang and Suvarnabhumi airports and Buriram. Four of these flights were listed as extra services, indicating strong initial demand.
In addition, Thai Lion Air, Thai Vietjet and Thai Aways served the route to Suvarnabhumi. Private and charter operators VIP Jets, Flex Box Ltd., Aeroforth and Siamlang supplemented capacity, flying business travellers and charter passengers to the new airport.
Links to Bangkok’s two main airports
Most scheduled services connected Buriram with Don Mueang, Thailand’s primary domestic hub. Suvarnabhumi also appeared in the timetable, particularly for evening flights.
One notable exception was Flight No. 3 operated by Flex Box Ltd.. The GV6C aircraft flew the route Don Mueang – Buriram – Hong Kong, landing in Buriram at 9:00 and departing again at 16:30.
New gateway for German-speaking travellers
The city in Buri Ram province in the Isan region was already known primarily as a motorsport destination. The Chang International Circuit, home of the Thailand Grand Prix, lay directly next to the airport.
For tourists from Bangkok, Buriram had previously been reachable only by train or bus, a journey of around five hours. With regular flight operations, travel time dropped to under one hour, giving spectators of future Formula 1 races or local club Buriram United football matches a direct air link.
New 750-million-baht terminal
The new passenger terminal covered 25,500 square metres and was built by the Department of Airports. Construction costs amounted to 750 million baht, with a capacity of up to 1,000 passengers per hour, equivalent to 2.8 million passengers per year.
The airport was designed for both domestic and international flights. It aimed to establish Buriram as a hub for sports tourism and to strengthen the regional economy by improving connectivity for the lower northeast and linking it to the East–West Economic Corridor.
MotoGP 2026 to test new hub
The main stress test for the new airport was scheduled for February 2026, when Buriram would host the MotoGP season opener from 27 February to 1 March. Between 18 February and 2 March, more than 120 flights with over 20,000 passengers were expected.
To prepare for operations, simulations with airlines had already been conducted and systems tested. Staff were trained for high passenger volumes, and the terminal was equipped with full infrastructure, including electrical systems, air conditioning, CCTV security and bilingual signage.
Expansion plans already on the table
Buriram was expected to grow further in the long term. Airports of Thailand planned to invest around 460 million baht in additional expansion to increase capacity to 2.8 million passengers per year.
As early as 2019, the Department of Airports had announced a second passenger terminal costing 700 million baht, intended to raise annual capacity from 750,000 to 1.7 million passengers and extend the runway for larger aircraft. The newly opened building was the result of years of planning and was seen as potentially only the beginning of Buriram’s development as an aviation hub.