National Assembly Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn is updated on the construction progress of Long Thành International Airport in Đồng Nai Province on Thursday. VNA/VNS Photo

ĐỒNG NAI — National Assembly Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn has urged Đồng Nai Province to work closely with ministries and agencies to review compensation, resettlement and land acquisition processes, ensuring that the Long Thành International Airport project stays on track to have its first phase operational by mid-2026, as scheduled.

He made the request during a site visit on Thursday to assess the progress of the Long Thành International Airport investment project in the southern province.

The Long Thành project is divided into three phases, with a total investment of over US$16 billion. The first phase, with an investment of more than $5.4 billion, targets to build one runway, one passenger terminal and related infrastructure. It is designed with a capacity of 25 million passengers per year and a cargo terminal handling 1.2 million tonnes of goods annually.

In his remarks during a meeting with relevant units, NA Chairman Mẫn emphasised that Long Thành International Airport is a strategically significant project for the socio-economic and national defence development of Đồng Nai Province, the southern economic region, as well as the entire country.

The project is expected to create approximately 200,000 jobs and is anticipated to become one of the modern air transport hubs in the region.

NA Chairman Mẫn commended the Party Committee, local authorities and people of Đồng Nai Province for their effective handling of compensation, resettlement, land acquisition and site clearance. As of now, 100 per cent of the land for the first phase, covering a total area of 2,532 hectares, has been handed over.

He also praised the Ministry of Transport, the State Capital Management Committee and other managing and executing units for accelerating the project's progress and expressed his understanding of the challenges faced by engineers and construction workers who are facing difficult conditions.

NA Chairman Mẫn noted that the project was approved by the National Assembly through Resolutions No 94 and No 95, allowing for the separation of land acquisition, compensation and resettlement into a component project under Resolution No 38 and extended the implementation deadline to December 31, 2024, under Resolution No 110.

Highlighting the limited time remaining for the project, the NA Chairman urged Đồng Nai Province to focus on investing in and completing essential infrastructure at resettlement areas, ensuring living conditions are at least as good as the previous locations. He also emphasised the importance of vocational training and creating stable livelihoods for residents.

Investors and contractors should regularly review and update the progress of project components, ensuring coordination and synchronisation with inter-provincial and regional infrastructure projects. They should also conduct frequent inspections and supervision to ensure the construction quality, he said.

NA Chairman Mẫn reminded local authorities to stay close to the people, understand their concerns and needs and address complaints and suggestions from those affected by land acquisition.

He also requested the Ministry of Transport and the State Capital Management Committee to continuously monitor and direct the project to ensure both timely completion and high quality.

Earlier, NA Chairman Mẫn visited and presented gifts to residents at the Lộc An - Bình Sơn resettlement area and provided gifts to the construction units working on the Long Thành International Airport project. — VNS