The construction plan for Long Thanh International Airport, which is expected to cost USD6 billion in the first phase, will be submitted to the National Assembly for consideration after receiving approval from the government.
Long Thanh International Airport plan to be submitted to National Assembly
At the regular government meeting on September 30, Minister and Chief of the Government Office Nguyen Van Nen said that the government and the State Appraisal Council approved the project proposed by the Ministry of Transport.
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has authorised the Ministry of Transport to submit the plan to the National Assembly. The Ministry of Transport must explain to the NA the benefits of building a new airport instead of expanding Tan Son Nhat or Bien Hoa airports.
The document sent to the NA should indicate the size, efficiency and cost of the project and an estimate of how much it would add to public debt.
Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Hong Truong said that the project will be divided into two phases. The first phase will cost USD6 billion and will be carried out between 2020 and 2025. Phase one is designed to serve 20-25 million passengers per year. The second stage is scheduled for after 2030, and will increase capacity to 60-80 million passengers annually.
In the past, some experts said that the feasibility study for Long Thanh International Airport is unreliable and that it must be re-checked to avoid waste.
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said that it is preferable to build a new international airport, as an upgrade to Tan Son Nhat International Airport to increase its capacity to 40 million passengers a year would be costly and unfeasible.
According to the PM, the southern economic zone is Vietnam’s economic centre and has the highest demand for air transport, which is rising for both domestic and international routes.
