Transport ministry proposes PPP projects to expand six airports

The Ministry of Transport has proposed that six airports in as many localities in the north, central, Central Highlands and southern regions be expanded via public-private-partnership 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 one, Can Tho Airport is located in the Mekong Delta city of the same name.

Under the proposal, Can Tho Airport will see its cargo terminal and logistics facilities upgraded. The other five will see their passenger terminals, runways and parking lots expanded.

Feasibility studies of those projects began October 5 and must finish before December 15, said Deputy Minister of Transport Le Anh Tuan. The studies must factor in the transport ministry's draft plans, plans of the respective localities and opinions of surveying teams and relevant ministries.

According to guidelines provided by Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh, the provincial and municipal people’s committees will be in charge of studying and calling for investments, and implementing the projects after getting prime ministerial approval.

Backing the plan to accord greater autonomy to the local authorities, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) has suggested that the transport ministry and relevant agencies update the legal framework to facilitate PPP projects, especially in evaluation and transfer of state assets and selection of investors.

While the Na San airport is suspended, the other five are operational. The Lien Khuong airport, a traveling hub for people to reach tourism hotspot Da Lat, has already exceeded its capacity of two million passengers a year, doing this in 2019. The other four operating airports are yet to meet their designed capacity.

Vietnam’s 22 airports served 9.1 million passengers in September, including 1.6 million international passengers, according to the CAAV. In the first nine months of this year, the number of passengers reached 75 million, up 162.4% year-on-year.