Airports Corporation of Vietnam will start work on the passenger terminal of Vinh Airport in Nghe An on Friday, while Cam Ranh Airport in Khanh Hoa has also got the nod from the Government for a runway upgrade.
Under the upgrade plan for Vinh Airport, a passenger terminal covering about 11,700 square meters will be developed, together with lighting and water supply systems.
It will be built to meet the travel demand of passengers by 2022, with a capacity of two million passengers per year. During peak hours, the terminal can cater for 1,000 passengers.
Currently, Vinh Airport is enabling round-trip flights from Vinh to HCMC, Hanoi, Danang and Buon Ma Thuot with 20 trips a day. The airlines operating services to Vinh include Vietnam Airlines, Jetstar Pacific and VietJetAir.
Because of the drastic increase in travel demand in the central region, at up to 150% per year, the current terminal is overloaded when receiving three A320 aircrafts with 600-800 passengers at the same time.
When the upgrade is complete, Vinh Airport will be able to cater for several high-capacity aircrafts like A320 and A321 at the same time, especially during holidays.Similarly, Cam Ranh Airport in Khanh Hoa Province will also be upgraded to receive larger aircrafts.
According to a notice released from the Government Office on April 17, the Government asked the Ministry of Transport to consider whether the existing runway of Cam Ranh Airport should be upgraded and a new one built.
As per the approved plan, Cam Ranh Airport by 2020 will be capable of receiving Boeing B767-300, B777, B747 or equivalent. The airport will be expanded so that it will have 32 parking spots and can cater for 27 planes during peak hours.
By 2020, Cam Ranh Airport will be able to receive 5.5 million passengers and approximately 100,000 tons of goods annually. By 2030, the airport will be able to handle up to eight million passengers and 200,000 tons of cargo a year.
In July 2009, the Government passed the zoning plan for Cam Ranh International Airport until 2020 with a vision to 2030, with total investment of around VND10.5 trillion.