Vietnam reopens Dien Bien airport connecting to historic battlefield

Dien Bien Airport in the northern highlands province where the historic 1954 Dien Bien Phu Battle ended France's colonial rule in Indochina will resume operations Saturday.

The airport reopens after implementation of a VND1.5 trillion ($61 million) expansion project that began in January 2022, aiming to increase the airport’s annual capacity to 500,000 passengers from 300,000.

The upgrade will also enable the airport to handle bigger aircraft like the Airbus A320 and A321, local authorities said.

The renovated airport has an aircraft apron with four hangars for A320/A321 aircraft or equivalent and one for ATR72 aircraft or smaller. It is also equipped with auxiliary light systems.

Carriers using the airport have installed check-in and auxiliary systems, according to the Airports Corporation of Vietnam.

Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet Air, the two carriers operating flights to and from Dien Bien Airport, have carried out test flights to ensure resumption of official operations Saturday.

Starting Saturday, budget carrier Vietjet will operate its first direct flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Dien Bien.

National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines will launch daily flights between Hanoi and Dien Bien the same day.

The airport is not far from former battlefield made famous by the defeat of the French colonial regime at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu in 1954. The battle raged for 56 days before Vietnam's decisive victory spelt the end of France's colonial rule in Indochina and paved the way for national independence.

Besides its military history, Dien Bien boasts several scenic spots and landmarks including the Pa Khoang Reservoir, Tham Bang Cave, Ban Phu Citadel and the Museum of Dien Bien Phu Victory.

It is also the only province that shares a border with both Laos and China – two sections of 455.57 km and 414.71 km with the former and 40.86 km with the latter.

Dien Bien plans to develop tourism as a spearhead economic sector and expects this will boost other industries in the locality.

The northern province welcomed more than 790,000 tourists in the first nine months of this year, up 230% over the same period last year. It earned tourism revenues of nearly VND1.4 trillion ($56.98 million), up 65% year-on-year.

Dien Bien is the only airport in the northwestern region, which comprises six provinces, the other five being Hoa Binh, Son La, Lai Chau, Lao Cai and Yen Bai.