Gia Binh to be northern Vietnam’s largest airport as scale largely revised up

Gia Binh International Airport in Bac Ninh province, an industrial hub neighboring Hanoi, is set to surpass Noi Bai as northern Vietnam’s largest airport, after the construction ministry approved adjustments to its projected capacity and land area.

Accordingly, the airport will span up to 1,960 hectares, a sharp increase from 408.5 hectares outlined in the April revision. It is now expected to handle around 30 million passengers annually by 2030, and roughly 50 million by 2050, up from the earlier projections of 5 million and 15 million, respectively.

With the revised plan, Gia Binh will overtake Hanoi’s Noi Bai International Airport and Ho Chi Minh City’s Tan Son Nhat International Airport, each covering around 1,500 hectares to rank second nationwide, trailing only 5,000-hectare Long Thanh International Airport in the southern province of Dong Nai.

Included in the national airport system master plan for 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050, Gia Binh is categorized as “level 4E”, the term used for airports that can accommodate aircraft with a “reference field length” of 1,800 m and above and a wingspan up to 65 m.

The project is estimated to require an investment of around VND120.84 trillion ($4.62 billion) for the 2021-2030 period, and about VND61.46 trillion ($2.35 billion) through 2050.

Its construction began in December 2024, with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh directing that the project be completed within 18 months, even before December 31, 2025.

The construction ministry has also decided to adjust the annual capacity of Noi Bai International Airport to around 30 million passengers for 2021-2030 and 50 million by 2050, down from 55 million and 85 million, respectively.

The airport’s estimated investment under the master plan, with no development planned for 2021-2030, is around VND9.98 trillion ($381.72 million) through 2050.

The master plan envisions a total land area of around 25,791 hectares allocated for airport development nationwide through 2030.

Vietnam’s airport network will require an estimated VND444.71 trillion ($17.01 billion) in investment through 2030, mobilized from state budget, non-budgetary sources, and other legal funding channels.

According to the national airport development plan, Vietnam aims to expand its network of airports from 22 to 30 by 2030, and 33 by 2050.

On the list of the 30 airports until 2030, the 14 international gateways are Van Don (in Quang Ninh province), Cat Bi (Hai Phong city), Noi Bai (Hanoi), Tho Xuan (Thanh Hoa province), Vinh (Nghe An province), Phu Bai (Thua Thien-Hue province), Danang (Danang city), Chu Lai (Quang Nam province), Cam Ranh (Khanh Hoa province), Lien Khuong (Lam Dong province), Long Thanh (in Dong Nai near HCMC), Tan Son Nhat (HCMC), Can Tho (Can Tho city), and Phu Quoc (Phu Quoc island).

The 16 domestic airports on the list are Lai Chau (Lai Chau province), Dien Bien (Lai Chau province), Sapa (Lao Cai province), Na San (Son La province), Dong Hoi (Quang Binh province), Quang Tri (Quang Tri province), Phu Cat (Binh Dinh province), Tuy Hoa (Phu Yen province), Pleiku (Gia Lai province), Buon Ma Thuot (Dak Lak province), Phan Thiet (Binh Thuan province), Rach Gia (Kien Giang province), Ca Mau (Ca Mau province), Con Dao (Con Dao island), Thanh Son (Ninh Thuan province), and Bien Hoa (Dong Nai province).

For a vision to 2050, the total is 33 (14 international airports and 19 domestic terminals). This means there will be three more domestic ones, namely Cao Bang, Cat Bi, and South Hanoi. Notably, among the 14 international airports, Hai Phong Airport will replace the existing Cat Bi Airport.