Long Thanh airport a boon for economic growth
Deputy General Director of Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) Nguyen Tien Viet tells VnEconomy / Vietnam Economic Times about how Long Thanh International Airport can boost growth.
What is the size of Long Thanh International Airport? What outstanding features will make it one of the leading air transshipment hubs in the region?
According to its design, Long Thanh International Airport is a 4F level airport, as classified by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and is an important air gateway of the country and the region.
In the first phase, the airport will have a capacity of 25 million passengers, which will then be doubled to 50 million in the second phase and 100 million in the third phase, after 2030.
The airport is envisioned to become an air transshipment hub in the Southeast Asian region. It is expected to be able to compete with other airports in the region such as Changi Airport in Singapore and Suvarnabhumi Airport in Thailand.
It is the largest airport in Vietnam, with a special location in the center of Southeast Asia, providing favorable conditions for passengers to transit to other continents such as Europe, the Middle East, South Asia, Northeast Asia, North America, and Oceania.
Travel by air is recovering strongly after Covid-19. How will the airport meet increasing demand among passengers when it is put into operation, particularly in the southern region?
According to the approved feasibility report, Long Thanh airport will have a designed capacity of welcoming 25 million passengers a year. It will mainly serve international flights, while the existing Tan Son Nhat airport in Ho Chi Minh City will chiefly serve domestic flights.
Tan Son Nhat is the largest and most important airport in Vietnam, mainly serving the southern region and international flights. However, it is currently overloaded.
Once fully operational, Long Thanh airport will replace the role Tan Son Nhat plays in catering to international flights.
Consultants JFV, a joint venture between Japan, France, and Vietnam, has forecast that aviation demand in the southern region will be 85 million passengers a year by 2030. Long Thanh airport, with a capacity of 25 million passengers a year in the first phase, together with Tan Son Nhat airport, with a capacity of 50 million passengers a year, will be able to meet market demand by 2030.
Capacity at Long Thanh airport will increase to 100 million passengers a year after the construction of the second and third phases.
Construction of surrounding ring roads and expressways has begun in preparation for Long Thanh airport. How will investment in transport infrastructure create a driving force for growth in neighboring localities and the region as a whole?
There will be three expressways and two railways connecting Long Thanh International Airport, including the North-South express railway line and the Thu Thiem - Long Thanh airport railway, and the Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay, Ben Luc - Long Thanh, and Phan Thiet - Dau Giay Expressways.
These routes, together with Long Thanh airport, will open up a new development space and growth driver for the region, creating competitiveness for the southern region and the overall economy.
Long Thanh airport will also help attract FDI, promote tourism, and facilitate exports of cargo by air.
As an investor in Long Thanh airport, what has the ACV done to ensure quality and progress?
During the implementation process, the management board of the ACV has given directions to help deal with emerging difficulties and obstacles to ensure quality and progress of the project.
It has also invited domestic and foreign experts to support investors in choosing contractors as well as experienced local and international legal consultants in preparing construction contracts.
The corporation has also coordinated with relevant ministries, agencies, and localities to ensure that project implementation is in line with regulations.
