Experts have stressed the need to carefully calculate all airport projects before construction due to the large number of localities proposing new airports.
Experts call for careful consideration of future airports. Illustrative photo
Thirteen provinces nationwide have recently proposed new airport projects in their localities.
To date, the national airport development plan until 2050 includes some northern airports at Dien Bien, Lai Chau, Sapa, Na San and Na Hang, and Cao Bang.
Several other provinces have also sought approval to build airports to foster economic growth, including the northern province of Ninh Binh, the northern central province of Ha Tinh and the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau.
The central highlands province of Kon Tum has also proposed adding Mang Den Airport to the national airport development plan until 2050.
Local authorities have recommended an airport that would be located in the sparsely populated Mang Den Town. Mang Den Airport would cover a site of 350 hectares to serve both civil and military aviation purposes.
Tran Quang Chau, chairman of the Vietnam Association on Aviation Science and Technology said airport planning should not only take into account social and economic benefits but also ensure aviation security.
"The development of so many airports at the same time isn’t suitable," he noted. "We need to carefully consider various criteria such as passenger demand, transportation demand, and flight networks before building a new airport."
Tran Kim Chung, former deputy director of the Central Institute for Economic Management said that it was necessary to consider general traffic before investing in a new airport.
"We need to study the airport network and its supporting infrastructure every five years," he said.
According to the deputy minister of Transport, Le Anh Tuan, the rate of Some 96 percent of Vietnamese can access airports within a 100-kilometre radius, which is higher than the global average of 75 percent. Vietnamese airports are now operating at a capacity of 150 million passengers per year.
Vietnam currently has a total of 22 airports covering an area of 12,409 hectares.
By 2030, Vietnam is expected to have 28 airports, including 14 serving international routes, and 31 airports by 2050.
