Chula Sukmanop, secretary-general of the Eastern Economic Corridor Office (EECO), provided an update on the THB290 billion U-Tapao Airport and Eastern Aviation City development, saying the EECO will issue a Notice to Proceed (NTP) to U-Tapao International Aviation Co., Ltd. (UTA) on April 3, 2026. The date will mark the official start of the 50-year project timeline, with the concession due to end in 2076.

This progress came after the EECO signed a contract management agreement for the joint investment project with UTA, the concessionaire, on January 29, 2026, under which UTA agreed to waive certain contractual conditions precedent related to the construction plan and the operation of the high-speed rail link connecting the three airports—resolving the deadlock that had delayed the project for nearly five and a half years.