Ninh Thuan, Dong Nai military airports face half-civil conversion

A working group, headed by Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh, will be formed to research the possibility of converting Thanh Son and Bien Hoa military airports in Ninh Thuan and Dong Nai provinces into half-civil alternatives.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has ordered the task force, which includes relevant ministerial leaders and the Chairman of Ninh Thuan and Dong Nai, to make a proposal on the two airports before September.

At a meeting in Ninh Thuan on April 17, PM Chinh said he agreed with the province's proposal to turn Thanh Son into a military-civil airport, which would create momentum for its breakthrough development in the near future.

Previously, the Ministry of Transport did not add the two airports to its latest draft master plan on national airport system development in the period of 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050, submitted to the premier.

Thanh Son airport currently has two runways of over 3,000 meters in length. The airport meets 4C airport standards, according to International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO) classification.

Ninh Thuan People's Committee said that the demand for transporting tourists and investors to economic and tourism establishments in Ninh Thuan is increasing very quickly, possibly by up to 5 million people per year, creating a large market for the aviation industry.

The two airports have been used for military training and airspace protection for many years. There are no civilian airports in the two provinces now.

Coastal Ninh Thuan is a tourism destination in south central Vietnam, while Dong Nai is a manufacturing hub of the southern region. Long Thanh International Airport in Dong Nai is scheduled to open to traffic in 2025.