An artist's impression of Long Thành International Airport. -- VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI – Deputy Prime Minister Lê Văn Thành has asked authorities to complete the construction of Long Thành International Airport by 2025.

Deputy PM Thành set the deadline during an online meeting held on Monday on Long Thành International Airport, a key national project worth US$5 billion.

The meeting focused on the project’s site clearance and construction progress.  

Đồng Nai Province has so far acquired 3,801 out of the 5,000ha, or 77 per cent of the plan. The remaining 1,145ha will be acquired by the end of the year, reported Cao Tiến Dũng, Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee.

All clearance and compensation work is expected to be completed in the first quarter of next year.

According to the Ministry of Transport (MoT), the bidding package for infrastructure system design, including the runways, taxiways, aprons and internal traffic system, has been implemented according to the plan in 2021, however, the COVID-19 outbreak has caused many difficulties to the process.

The bidding package for the technical design of the passenger terminal started in June 2021. Construction work is expected to start in March 2022 and finish before December 2025.

The Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) has organised tenders to create basic technical designs for ancillary structures in September 2021. The designs are expected to be finished by December 2022.

However, potential risks to the project progress have arisen, said Deputy Minister of Transport Lê Anh Tuấn, which include the slowed construction pace of the fence section due to a lack of cleared ground, and ground levelling work postponed to 2022 as the levelling design was behind schedule.

The Commission for the Management of State Capital at Enterprises has issued official documents to the Ministries of Finance, Planning and Investment, and Transport for opinions and assistance in allowing ACV to increase the capital to ensure the financial capacity of the project. Credit institutions have also agreed to offer their support.

The Deputy PM emphasised that this key national project has a crucial role in transport infrastructure development, acting as a driving force for the socio-economic development of the region and the country.

The project has been made a priority by the National Assembly, Government, ministries and departments, which is why every measure has to be taken to minimise the project duration and ensure that every section follows the schedule in order to complete the project by 2025.

While acknowledging the efforts of Đồng Nai Province and the MoT, Deputy PM Thành said the project is making slow progress with ground clearance only reaching 77 per cent of the plan, and the designs for the main structures, including the terminal and runways, have not yet been finalised.

Đồng Nai Province will be responsible for land clearance for phase 1 before December 31, 2021 with an area of 5,200ha to be planned for the project in the first quarter of 2022.

Deputy PM Thành required key investors ACV and the MoT to speed up the design progress and evaluation to launch the bidding package. The goal is to start construction in December 2021.

For the passenger terminal with VNĐ50 trillion (nearly US$2.2 billion) investment capital, the Deputy PM gave the direction to closely follow the implementation process, and start construction work before March 2022. The apron and runway will commit to the planned schedule to start in August 2022.

He also emphasised that progress must be ensured for every section, the bidding package must clearly state completion milestones for the main constructions, including the runway and terminal, before January 2025; with the entire structure going into operation in the first half of 2025.

The Deputy PM will work with the MoT every month on the progress of Long Thành International Airport and several other key transport infrastructure projects. — VNS