Vietnam’s new int’l airport to be major regional competitor
Vietnam’s new international airport in Dong Nai province is to be a global transit destination in the Southeast Asian region, said a senior official from the Civil Aviation Authority Tuesday.
The Vietnamese Prime Minister has approved a master plan for construction of the Long Thanh International Airport in Long Thanh District of Dong Nai Province, 40km south east of HCMC.
“One of the most important aspects of the project is to make Vietnam the country of choice for transit to compete with airports in Singapore, Bangkok or Kuala Lumpur. Foreign travelers will choose to transit via the Long Thanh Airport to go to other places in the world,” said Vu Pham Nguyen Tung, deputy head of CAAV’s airport management department.
Major passenger load
The airport will command some US$8 billion in investment and cover 5,000 hectares, designed to handle 5 million pieces of cargo and 100 million passengers per year, 10 times Tan Son Nhat Int’l Airport in HCMC.
The project is also aimed at alleviating passenger loads at Tan Son Nhat Airport, as it is impossible to expand the airport due to space limitations.
The authority will focus on promotion activities for the airport and propose the government to adopt “market-opening” policies to attract carriers to the airport, said Mr. Tung.
“In the initial phase, air carriers operating flights to Long Thanh will enjoy reductions and exemptions in landing, take-off, and air traffic navigation fees,” he explained.
According to Mr. Tung, the 40km distance from Long Thanh to HCMC is ideal in that it will not cause noise pollution or disturb urban activities in the city.
The airport is scheduled to open between 2010 and 2015 with four runways able to receive Airbus 380s, and have several terminals and commercial sections.
Currently, CAAV is conducting feasibility studies for phase-one infrastructure construction.
National plan
Noi Bai Int’l Airport in Hanoi will be expanded and upgraded to receive 50 million passengers a year to meet the traveling demand of the northern region, he said.
In the central region, Danang Int’l Airport is building a new 4-million-passenger-per-year international terminal, with Chu Lai Airport in central Quang Nam province designated essential for cargo transit.
Par Thanh Hang - Thanh Nien - July 27, 2005.
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