More than US$8 billion set aside to upgrade four airports

Announcing the plan on October 15, the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam (CAAV) said it also aimed to turn Long Thanh into regional transport hub, competing with major airports around the world.

Located in the southern province of Dong Nai, the airport is designed to receive the A380-800 aircraft or the equivalent with an annual capacity of 100 million passengers and 5 million tonnes of cargo.

The first phase of work will be carried out from 2015 to 2020 with investment capital of VND151.7 trillion (US$7.2 billion).

It includes two parallel runways, a passenger terminal with a capicity of 25 million passengers per year and a cargo terminal with an annual capacity of 1.2 million tonnes of goods.

CAAV said that Chu Lai International Airport in the central province of Quang Nam’s Chu Lai Open Economic Zone will be upgraded with investment capital of VND11.5 trillion (US$546.1 million).

Chu Lai is an important cargo transport centre for the Dung Quat Industrial Park in Quang Ngai Province and the economic zone will be located in.

It will have two parallel runways, a passenger terminal capable of handling 2.3 million passengers per year and a cargo terminal with a capacity of 1.5 million tonnes per year.

The project will be carried out from 2015 to 2025.

About VND4.5 trillion (US$214.3 million) will be invested in upgrading Cam Ranh International Airport-the main airport serving Nha Trang resort city in the central coast province of Khanh Hoa. The airport handles all domestic and international flights to Nha Trang.

The project due to start in 2015 and be completed by 2030, will include a new runway and upgrade work on Runway 1.

According to CAAV, the construction of Quang Ninh Airport in Van Don Island district in the northern province of Quang Ninh will be divided into two phases.

The first phase from 2015-2020 will allow the airport to receive 2 million passengers and 4,050 tonnes of cargo per year.

The second phase until 2030 will increase cargo capacity to 7,500 tonnes per year.

The project includes runways, taxiways, airfields, and air traffic control tower, a passenger terminal and a cargo terminal. Total investment is estimated at VND5.1 trillion (US$243 million).

Decision 21/QD-TTg dated January 8, 2009 issued by the Prime Minister stated that Vietnam should have 26 airports by 2020, of which ten will be international hubs.