Proposal to study additional planning for 9 new airports

The leaders of the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam said that they worked with localities to propose airport planning in November. At each working session, consulting and air traffic units reviewed, presented research results and evaluated the airport planning capacity and local transportation needs.

On that basis, the Department proposed to continue researching and adding to the planning 9 airports including: Tan Quang (Ha Giang), Yen Bai, Na Hang (Tuyen Quang), Ha Tinh, Mang Den (Kon Tum), Ly Son (Quang Ngai), Van Phong (Khanh Hoa), Dak Nong, Tay Ninh. Localities are required to develop a project to evaluate the effectiveness, feasibility, and methods of mobilizing non-budgetary capital to build airports.

Airplanes of various airlines at Noi Bai airport.

With the proposal of the People's Committee of Son La province on planning Moc Chau airport, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam believes that it is possible to establish an airport here, however, the location of the land in Moc Chau national forest has unfavorable weather, with about 5 months of fog each year, affecting civil exploitation.

Son La Provincial People's Committee has also assessed that investing in a new port in Moc Chau will affect the efficiency of Na San Airport in the area and its location is far from the administrative center of Son La City. Therefore, Son La Province has proposed that Moc Chau be a specialized airport (used for airplanes, seaplanes, helicopters to carry passengers and goods without public transport).

According to Mr. Pham Huu Son - General Director of TEDI - the planning consultancy unit, if the new airports do not have conflicts over airspace and have businesses committed to investing capital, they can be considered and added to the planning. Currently, local economies are developing rapidly, so aviation planning needs to be dynamic and open to facilitate localities to proactively call for infrastructure development.

TEDI assessed that the proposals to supplement airport planning of localities are reasonable, most clearly Ha Giang. In the context of the high cost of building a highway connecting this locality with Hanoi, which will take decades, investing in an airport of reasonable scale and lower cost can bring a boost to economic development.

Previously, at the end of 2021, the Ministry of Transport submitted to the Government a draft plan for the national airport network, with 28 airports in the 2021-2030 period and 31 by 2050. During the planning process, many localities proposed additional plans.

The Ministry of Transport has set out 6 criteria for airport planning, including: Cargo output; socio-economic development needs (GDP growth, employment, tourism promotion); national defense and security needs (strategy, strategic backup); needs to respond to emergency and relief activities; natural conditions (airspace, clearance...); approach distance (100 km for plain airports and 200 km for mountainous airports).