An aircraft at Điện Biên Aiport in the northern mountainous province of Điện Biên.—Photo vietnamplus.vn

HÀ NỘI — To facilitate an expansion project, the Ministry of Transport has issued a decision to temporarily close the Điện Biên Airport from April 15 to December 17.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) earlier requested the ministry to consider the closure to complete the project before the 70th anniversary of the Điện Biên Phủ Victory in May 2024.

The airport's closure was also approved by the provincial People’s Committee, which requested the CAAV to coordinate with investors and accelerate the project's implementation.

The Prime Minister had approved the project on March 27, 2021.

The project aims to expand the runway to 2,400m in length, meeting the technical standards for modern aircraft such as A320 and A321, as well as improving the operating capacity of the existing passenger terminal from 300,000 to 500,000 passengers annually.

The project also includes the construction of new auxiliary services and a civil aviation zone to ensure synchronous operation of A320, A321 and equivalent aircraft.

The total investment for the project, which is being funded by the Airport Corporation of Vietnam (ACV), amounts to VNĐ1.46 trillion (US$62 million).

The ministry has directed the ACV to mobilise all resources, increase manpower and machinery to ensure that the project is completed according to the original schedule.

Currently, the airport, which was built in 1954, has one runway with a length of 1,830m and a width of 30m, capable of handling only ATR72 and smaller aircraft. It is situated 500km west of Hà Nội. VNS