Vietnam needs to mobilize VND128,115 billion ($5.15 billion) from the private sector toward airport infrastructure in 2021-2030, the Ministry of Transport said Friday.
The total need is VND403,106 billion ($16.21 billion), of which the ministry can provide VND9,841 billion and state-run Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV), VND265,150 billion, the ministry stated at a Friday event on private funds for airports.
ACV said that private capital for the sector is necessary as the corporation will focus on investing in only some out of 21 airports under its management in 2021-2025, including phase 1 of Long Thanh International Airport (in the southern province of Dong Nai), expansion of Tan Son Nhat (Ho Chi Minh City), Noi Bai (Hanoi), Cat Bi (northern city of Haiphong), and others.
Investment in airport infrastructure reached VND95,020 billion ($3.82 billion) in 2011-2020, of which only 12.5% was funded by the state budget, transport ministry data shows.
"Van Don International Airport in Quang Ninh province is a good example of private investment," said Nguyen Anh Dung, vice director of the ministry's planning and investment department. Leading real estate developer Sun Group is the investor.
Pham Ngoc Sau, CEO at Van Don International Airport, said the airport, upon its operation in late 2018 after 24 months of construction, partly helped increase Van Don district’s budget collection from VND130 billion in 2015 to VND1,000 billion ($40.2 million) in 2020.
Pham Van Hao, vice head of the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV), said the agency has so far received about 10 proposals for private investments in airports.
Last month, the transport ministry proposed that six airports in as many localities in the north, central, Central Highlands and southern regions be expanded via PPP projects. Five of the six airports - Na San, Vinh, Chu Lai, Tho Xuan and Lien Khuong - are located respectively in the provinces of Son La, Nghe An, Quang Nam, Thanh Hoa and Lam Dong. The sixth, Can Tho airport is located in the Mekong Delta city of the same name.