Thọ Xuân Airport. — Photo baogiaothong.vn

HÀ NỘI — The People’s Committee of the north-central province of Thanh Hoá has submitted an official dispatch to the Ministry of Transport regarding the investment of the T2 passenger terminal and other infrastructure for Thọ Xuân Airport

The province asked the Ministry of Transport to consider attracting capable businesses and investors or arrange other lawful capital sources from the state budget for constructing the terminal and infrastructure for 2022-25.

Earlier, the locality received a notice from the Airports Corporation of Việt Nam, managing and operating Thọ Xuân Airport.

The report said the investment project worth VNĐ2.12 trillion (US$90.83 million) was not included in its medium-term public investment plan for 2021-25 but has been earmarked for investment after 2025. The T2 terminal is designed to serve 5 million passengers a year.

The Ministry of Transport’s Decision No. 1136/QĐ-BGTVT dated June 12, 2020, approved a plan for the airport for 2021-30.

The plan stipulated that the 10-year period will see the expansion and upgrade of the existing passenger terminal T1, and the construction of the T2 and a cargo terminal, with a handling capacity of 27,000 tonnes per year.  

Currently, T1 is overloaded as it struggles to handle domestic routes. The terminal is not designed to handle international routes as there is no isolation area for international arrivals, entry, exit, or customs management.

Investment in the T2 terminal and other infrastructure as approved for 2021-2025 is timely as it will help Thọ Xuân airport to develop, said the provincial People’s Committee. 

Thọ Xuân Airport was put into operation on February 5, 2013. Its average number of passengers in 2013-15 soared by 160 per cent per year.

The terminal was opened in January 2016, capable of handling 1.2 million passengers a year. In 2016-20, the airport’s passenger throughput grew by 17 per cent on an annual average. In the first five months of 2022, the terminal received 671,000 arrivals, projected to hit 1.4 million by year’s end.

Thanh Hoá is seen as a "hidden gem" in Việt Nam, with huge potential for further tourism development thanks to its diverse and rich tourism resources.

Known as a "miniature Việt Nam," Thanh Hoá hosts elements of all of the country’s terrain, from mountains to plains and coast, with many beautiful landscapes and valuable historical and cultural heritage.

The province also has a system of infrastructure and technical facilities for tourism that is constantly expanding, and gradually improving in quality.

Thanh Hoá is home to a variety of beautiful beaches, namely the popular Sầm Sơn brown sand beach in the city of the same name. There is also Hải Tiến beach in Hoằng Hoá District, Tiên Trang Quảng Xương in Quảng Xương District, and Hải Hoà, Hải Thành and the Bãi Đông beach in Tĩnh Gia District.

In recent years, the province has become one of the top cities and provinces in tourism growth nationwide. During 2016-19, the number of tourist arrivals in the province grew by 15.2 per cent annually. Tourism revenue rose by 31.7 per cent yearly, contributing significantly to local socio-economic development.

With COVID-19 under relative control, Thanh Hoá tourism is bustling again with the reopening of all tourist destinations. The province has an image as a safe, friendly and attractive destination, prompting visitors to travel to the locality. — VNS