A rendering of Phan Thiết airport in the south-central province of Bình Thuận. Covering 543ha, the airport will feature a 3,050-metre runway and a passenger terminal with a capacity to handle 2 million passengers annually. VNA/VNS Photo

BÌNH THUẬN — Phan Thiết airport in the south-central province of Bình Thuận is set to be completed and operational by early next year. 

Speaking at a meeting last year, Lê Ngọc Tiến, director of the province’s Department of Planning and Investment, said the airport is designed to serve both civilian and military purposes, and is being constructed under the build-operate-transfer model.

Spanning across an area of 543ha, Phan Thiết airport will feature a 3,050-metre runway and a passenger terminal with a capacity to handle two million passengers annually. 

Despite facing some delays, construction on the airport resumed in April 2021, and the Air Defense - Air Force has been working diligently to complete the necessary infrastructure according to the schedule.

The development of Phan Thiết airport is part of Việt Nam’s broader plan to expand its airport infrastructure by 2030. 

This plan aims to increase the country's network of airports from the current 22 to 30, with 14 of them being international airports. 

While major aviation hubs like Hà Nội and HCM City will remain unchanged, a new domestic airport will be constructed in Hà Nội to complement the existing Nội Bài International Airport.

In addition, the construction of the Long Thành International Airport in Đồng Nai Province is also underway. 

This airport, budgeted at around VNĐ336.6 trillion, will be Việt Nam’s largest airport. 

It will be built in three phases, with the first phase consisting of one runway and terminal, and is expected to be completed by 2025. 

Once completed, the Long Thành airport will be able to handle 25 million passengers annually. — VNS