The location selected for Lao Cai Airport has been moved from Cam Con commune, Bao Thang district to Gia Phu commune, Bao Yen district in the northern province of Lao Cai.
The provincial People’s Committee and the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) announced the change of plans for Lao Cai Airport on February 26.
Accordingly, the airport will cover an area of 261.5 hectares in Cam 3 and Cam 4 villages situated in Cam Con commune, 34 kilometres from the city centre of Lao Cai.
It will be used for both civilian and military purposes, and will be capable of accommodating A320 and A321 aircrafts.
The new location will allow for safer landings and takeoffs that do not involve sharp turns to avoid mountains.
Lao Cai Airport will be constructed following the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO)’s C4 airport standard and will be developed into a military airport level 2, CAAV Director Lai Xuan Thanh said.
The airport will be able to serve not only domestic but also international flights to Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, China and Laos.
Once completed, it is expected to serve 560,000 passengers and handle 600 tonnes of goods per year by 2020. It will have two aprons and a 10,000sqm terminal designed to serve 308 passengers per peak hour.
By 2030, the airport will expand to five aprons, with a zone for shops and restaurants and a cargo terminal. Its capacity will be more than 1.5 million passengers and 2,880 tonnes of goods per year.
Source: VNA