Son La suggests another airport as private-public partnership project
The Son La administration has proposed that another airport in the northern highlands province, serving both civil and military purposes, be included in the national airports development plan.
The VND6,500 billion ($276.4 million) airport, named Moc Chau, would be built in the form public-private partnership (PPP).
The province has proposed to the Ministry of Transport that the project be included in the national airports plan for the 2021-2030 period, with vision until 2050.
If the proposal is approved, Son La would have two airports in the national plan, the first one being the Na San airport that has stopped operating. The province has also proposed that the Na San airport be upgraded.

Moc Chau in Son La province, northern Vietnam is a region of cool temperature, tea hills and ethnic villages. Photo courtesy of dulichvietnam.com.vn
In its first phase until 2030, the Moc Chau airport will cover an area of 350 hectares and serve one million passengers a year. In the second phase after 2030, it would expand to 500 hectares with an annual capacity of two million passengers.
The airport will serve both domestic and international routes. Notable destinations in Vietnam include Ho Chi Minh City, Danang, Cam Ranh and Phu Quoc. Possible foreign locations are Asian, including mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Vientiane, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta.
The provincial People’s Committee's proposal highlights Son La’s tourism and economic potentials, including favorable weather conditions and infrastructure for ecotourism, beautiful landscapes, the Moc Chau national tourism zone, agricultural processing plants including a Vinamilk dairy plant in Moc Chau district, among others.
In 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic, the province served 2.5 million travelers, a year-on-year increase of 23.2%.
The Na San airport in Son La stopped operations in May 2004 after its facilities became downgraded. In August, the province suggested a two-phase investment in the airport to resume operations. The province recommended two investments phases of VND3,028 billion and VND2,560 billion ($108.8 million), respectively. Under this upgrade, the airport’s capacity will rise to one million passengers by 2030 and double to two million later.
Currently, the northwestern mountainous region is mainly served by the Dien Bien Airport. Under the transport ministry’s plan, this area will have four domestic airports by 2020: Lai Chau (Lai Chau province), Dien Bien Phu (Dien Bien province), Sa Pa (Lao Cai province), and Na San (Son La province).
Last week, the transport ministry said it supported Lai Chau province's proposal to build a VND4,350 billion ($185 million) new airport, for both civil and military purposes
At a forum on socio-economic development of the region on August 27, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said that public investment priority should go to expressways, airports and international border gates in the northern highlands.
Minister of Transport Nguyen Van The told the same forum that new airports in Lao Cai, Dien Bien and Son La provinces can create breakthroughs for the region.
“Airports are vital to the region’s socio-economic development in the context of many difficulties faced in building roads in mountainous areas. That will help the region attract investment from private companies including Samsung which delivers their products by air across the world,” The said.
The northern highlands covers 14 provinces: Lang Son, Cao Bang, Ha Giang, Lao Cai, Lai Chau, Dien Bien, Son La, Bac Giang, Thai Nguyen, Bac Can, Tuyen Quang, Phu Tho, Yen Bai, and Hoa Binh.
The region has an especially important, strategic location in terms of politics, economics, national security and external relations, according to the government. It has potential to develop border trade and holds advantages in trade connections with China and ASEAN.
The northern highlands has mineral resources and strong agriculture, forestry and aquaculture sectors. It is also considered the lung of the nation as it boasts the highest forest coverage rate in the country.
- Read More
EC postpones Vietnam’s seafood inspection until year end
The European Commission (EC) has delayed its fifth inspection of Vietnam's efforts to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing to the end of 2025, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MAE).
Southeast Asia - Tue, May 6, 2025 | 8:53 am GMT+7
Thailand lowers growth forecast for 2025
The Thai Ministry of Finance has cut its forecast for the country’s economic growth this year to 2.1% from 3%, saying that the impact of U.S. tariffs and a global slowdown would weigh on Southeast Asia's second-largest economy.
Southeast Asia - Tue, May 6, 2025 | 8:49 am GMT+7
Vietnam’s top lighting manufacturer Rang Dong posts 48% drop in Q1 profit
Hanoi-based Rang Dong Light Source & Vacuum Flask JSC, a veteran in Vietnam’s consumer goods sector, reported a 48% decline in Q1 post-tax profit to nearly VND101 billion ($3.9 million), blaming intensifying competition from Chinese imports and foreign-invested enterprises.
Companies - Tue, May 6, 2025 | 8:17 am GMT+7
Vietnam spends $1.8 bln on coal imports in Q1, mainly for power plants
Vietnam spent more than $1.8 billion importing 17.27 million tons of coal in Q1, primarily to fuel thermal power plants, according to the General Department of Customs.
Economy - Mon, May 5, 2025 | 10:24 pm GMT+7
Vietnam’s utility major REE records 27% net profit growth in Q1 on power segment surge
Private utility firm REE Corporation posted strong profit growth in Q1, primarily driven by a significant improvement in its power segment compared to the same period last year.
Companies - Mon, May 5, 2025 | 10:00 pm GMT+7
Vietnam to hold first round of trade talks with US on Wednesday
Vietnam will hold its first round of negotiations with the U.S. on bilateral trade Wednesday, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said at the ongoing session of the country's parliament.
Economy - Mon, May 5, 2025 | 4:40 pm GMT+7
Nestlé Vietnam announces new investment in flagship coffee plant
Nestlé will make an additional investment of $75 million to expand its Nestlé Tri An plant in the southern Vietnam province of Dong Nai, bringing its total investment in the facility over 2024-2025 to $175 million.
Companies - Mon, May 5, 2025 | 4:35 pm GMT+7
Vietnam legislature’s ongoing session to mark 'historic breakthrough in institutional reform'
The National Assembly's session which opened on Monday morning will make a critical step forward in institutional reform, paving the way for a new era of modernization, digital transformation, green growth, and sustainable development, said the parliament's Chairman Tran Thanh Man.
Politics - Mon, May 5, 2025 | 3:53 pm GMT+7
Business confidence in Vietnam drops to 44-month low over US tariff concerns: S&P Global
Business confidence in Vietnam dropped sharply in April to the lowest since August 2021, as manufacturers were concerned about the impact of U.S. tariffs on production in the months ahead, according to S&P Global.
Economy - Mon, May 5, 2025 | 3:24 pm GMT+7
Ford distributor City Auto chairman’s wife plans $5 mln buy to become major shareholder
Ngo Thi Hanh, wife of Ford distributor City Auto (HoSE: CTF) chairman Tran Ngoc Dan, has registered to buy 6 million CTF shares to increase her ownership to 6.4%, according to the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HoSE).
Companies - Mon, May 5, 2025 | 11:41 am GMT+7
HCMC street retail spaces vacant despite rent cuts
Street retail spaces in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam's economic hub, continue to face persistent vacancies, as they struggle to compete with modern retail spaces that offer a wider array of goods and services.
Real Estate - Mon, May 5, 2025 | 11:14 am GMT+7
State-controlled giant Vietnam Rubber Group reports strong Q1 profit on high latex prices
Vietnam Rubber Group-JSC reported a net profit of VND1,184 billion ($45.5 million) in Q1/2025, 2.5 times higher than Q1/2024, which was largely driven by sustained high rubber latex prices amid rising global demand and tight supply.
Companies - Mon, May 5, 2025 | 8:22 am GMT+7
KRX trading system to go live on Monday: A 'pivotal milestone' for Vietnam's market status upgrade
The official launch of the new KRX trading system on May 5, after more than a decade of preparations, will mark a pivotal turning point for Vietnam’s stock market status upgrade, said Nguyen Duy Hung, chairman of leading broker Saigon Securities Inc. (SSI).
Finance - Sun, May 4, 2025 | 10:02 pm GMT+7
Vietnam distributor of Chinese EVs reports big profit growth in Q1
Vietnam’s TMT Motors Corporation (HoSE: TMT), the distributor of Chinese electric vehicle brand Wuling, reported VND33.76 billion ($1.3 million) in Q1 after-tax profit, about 125 times higher than Q1/2024.
Companies - Sun, May 4, 2025 | 7:38 pm GMT+7
Vietnamese EV maker VinFast signs loans worth $190 mln for Indonesia plant
VinFast, the electric vehicle arm of Vietnam's leading private conglomerate Vingroup, has secured a long-term syndicated loan agreement worth IDR1.85 trillion ($110 million) and an $80 million accordion facility from two Indonesian banks to finance the construction of its plant in Indonesia.
Companies - Sun, May 4, 2025 | 12:55 pm GMT+7
Vietnam's logistics major Transimex targets 20% profit growth in 2025
Transimex, a top logistics firm in Vietnam, targets net profit of over VND204 billion ($7.8 million) for 2025, up 20% year-on-year, on revenue of over VND3.36 trillion ($129.2 million), up 1%.
Companies - Sun, May 4, 2025 | 12:23 pm GMT+7