>> Proposal for two airports to service HCM City
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has given preliminary approval to the plan to build a new airport, Long Thanh International, in Dong Nai Province, to replace Tan Son Nhat in Ho Chi Minh City.
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| Construction on Long Thanh Airport scheduled for in 2015 |
The plan was proposed by the Ministry of Transport.
Construction is expected to begin in 2015, and will take place in three phases.
The first phase will last five years, and make the airport operational. By 2020 the airport is expected to be able to accommodate 25 million passengers and 1.2 million tonnes of freight per year. Investment for phase one is projected at just over USD6.7 billion.
After completion of phase one, the new airport will gradually replace Tan Son Nhat, to become the largest in Vietnam.
During the second phase, from 2020 to 2030, capacity is expected to reach 50 million passengers and 1.5 million tonnes of freight every year.
During the third phase, traffic is expected to more than double again, reaching 100 million passengers and 5 million tonnes of freight by after 2030.
Tan Son Nhat Airport will be used along with Long Thanh, but its traffic will be gradually reduced.
In the period between 2020 and 2050, Long Thanh airport will handle 90% of all international and 20% all domestic air traffic. Tan Son Nhat will be used mainly for domestic flights during this period, taking 80% of in-country flights and just 10% of international.
The ministry is considering using Tan Son Nhat as a “standby” after 2035.
Dung requested the Ministries of Transport, and Planning and Investment to seek Japanese ODA for a pre-feasibility study of the project.
According to the Government’s plan, airport construction is a key point for infrastructure development.
