Vietnam to invest $60 mln in Con Dao airport upgrade

The Ministry of Transport wants the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) to spend VND1,400 billion ($60.96 million) on upgrading Con Dao airport in the Con Dao archipelago, home to the jail system dating back to the French colonial time.

A new passenger terminal will be built to serve 2 million people and 4,400 tons of cargo each year. The airport apron will also be expanded to serve eight aircraft instead of four, and to handle Airbus A320, A321, and other mid-sized aircraft.

The ministry recently sent a letter to the Commission for the Management of State Capital (CMSC), which holds a 95 percent stake in the state-run corporation, asking the body to direct the latter to do the upgrade.

"Con Dao airport has a socio-economic, political and geographic location of importance that helps secure the defense and security of Ba Ria-Vung Tau and the country," the letter read.

The Ministry of Transport in October 2021 assigned the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) as investor of some other upgrade projects at Con Dao airport. These include expanding the width of the airport's runway from 30 to 45 meters, building a new taxiway and stretching three others, as well as installing a new runway lighting system.

The projects’ medium-term capital allocation plan for the period 2021-2025 is VND1,590 billion ($69.23 million).

The aviation authorities intended to close the airport for nine months beginning in March 2023 for work to commence, with new facilities set to operate in 2024.

Con Dao airport currently operates routes from and to Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and Can Tho city in Mekong Delta, with 20-22 flights a day and 400,000 passengers per year.

Official data shows that the number of passengers has climbed by an average 15% each year, yet the infrastructure has not kept up. Thus, the airport only operates small airplanes and must close at night.

Once these developments are completed, Con Dao airport would become a domestic airport at level 4C, under the standard code of the International Civil Aviation Organization, as well as a military airport at level II, thereby ensuring its development in the following years.

Con Dao is an archipelago of Ba Ria-Vung Tau province in southern Vietnam, comprising 16 pristine islands. It has a diverse marine ecosystem and rich history, making it one of the top destinations for local and foreign tourists.

The islands are home to jails dating back to the French colonial and Vietnam war periods. The jail system was built in 1861 by the French to imprison those considered a threat to the colonial regime. Over 100 years, some 20,000 revolutionaries and other patriots were jailed, tortured or killed at the site, which is now a special national relic.

ACV currently manages and exploits infrastructure at 21 airports in Vietnam, including major and important airports as well as those in highland and island areas.