The proposal follows the Ministry of Construction's approval of a revised national airport master plan, which includes a review of whether the planned Cao Bang Airport should be upgraded from ICAO Category 4C to 4E.
Under the revised plan, Cao Bang is among 19 international airports planned for development through 2030, with a long-term vision to 2050.
Earlier this year, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) identified Site No. 6 in Tan Giang Ward as the preferred airport location because of its planned expressway links.
Provincial authorities said the CAAV would submit its assessment after completing the survey, including whether the airport's planned classification should be upgraded.
Under the current plan, a Category 4C airport would accommodate narrow-body aircraft such as the Airbus A320, A321 and Boeing 737, mainly serving domestic and short-haul international routes.
A Category 4E airport could handle wide-body aircraft, including the Boeing 777, 787, Airbus A330 and A350, supporting long-haul international flights and large-scale cargo operations.
The province said building the airport to Category 4E standards from the outset would reduce future expansion costs, strengthen regional connectivity and support tourism and cross-border logistics.
A preliminary study found the proposed sites had sufficient land and suitable terrain for a 3,000-3,500 metre runway without significantly increasing land clearance costs compared with a Category 4C design.
