Dong Nai to hand over land for Long Thanh airport

A rendering of the proposed Long Thanh International Airport in the southern province of Dong Nai (Photo courtesy of Airports Corporation of Vietnam)

At a meeting between the provincial People’s Committee and agencies on November 12, vice chairman of the committee Tran Van Vinh said that residents affected by the project should be adequately compensated and resettled in a timely manner.

Last week, the Government approved a feasibility report on land clearance, compensation and resettlement support related to the construction of the airport.

To develop the airport project, nearly 5,400ha of land in Long Thanh district will be cleared, of which 5,000ha will be used to build the airport, according to the Dong Nai People’s Committee. 

Besides a large area occupied by the Dong Nai Rubber Corporation, some 5,000 households with 17,000 people will have to be cleared and relocated. 

Two resettlement areas, Loc An-Binh Son (nearly 300ha) and Binh Son III (81ha), are undergoing legal procedures so that construction can start next year.

Resettlement areas will have new roads with lighting systems, greenery, water supply and drainage systems, and water treatment plants.

There will also be schools, religious establishments, and sport and cultural centres to serve the new residents, according to the People’s Committee. 

Since the PM authorised the province to grant a license to build houses on the resettlement areas, construction will begin soon.

Affected households can begin to build houses in the Loc An-Binh Son resettlement area in January 2020, and in the Binh Son III resettlement area in October 2020.

In addition, Dong Nai authorities have directed agencies to oversee land speculation, especially in the 5,000-ha area for the airport. 

Dinh Quoc Thai, Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, said the airport project was the largest ever in the province, affecting 5,000 households, with total compensation amount of nearly VND18 trillion (US$775.7 million). 

Thai urged agencies to report any related issues immediately to the Steering Committee so they can be resolved in a timely manner.

The total cost for clearance, compensation and resettlement is VND22.85 trillion (US$984.6 million), sourced from the State budget.

At least VND4.1 trillion of the amount will be invested in infrastructure in resettlement areas, and VND479 billion will be spent on infrastructure outside the airport.

Some VND17.8 trillion has been earmarked for resettlement purposes, VND306 billion for vocational training and job generation for residents, and VND27 billion for a feasibility report.

Once fully operational, the Long Thanh Airport will reduce the load on neighbouring Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City. It will be able to handle 100 million passengers and five million tonnes of freight each year.

Covering a total area of more than 5,580 hectares, the airport will be located in six communes in Long Thanh district in Dong Nai province. 

The airport’s total investment is VND336.63 trillion, with construction divided into three phases.

In the first phase, a runway and one passenger terminal along with other supporting works will be built to serve 25 million passengers and 1.2 million tonnes of cargo each year. This phase is expected to be completed by 2025.

In the second phase, one more runway and another passenger terminal will be built to serve around 50 million passengers and 1.5 million tonnes of cargo a year.

After the third phase, the airport will be able to serve 100 million passengers and 5 million tonnes of cargo a year. 

The investment will come from various sources, including the State budget and capital to be raised from investors and the society.