Deputy Prime Minister Trần Hồng Hà chairs a meeting of the working group for Long Thành International Airport on Wednesday. — VNA/VNS Photo Văn Điệp

HÀ NỘI — Selecting reputable and experienced contractors to provide world-class services at Long Thành International Airport is a top priority, said Deputy Prime Minister Trần Hồng Hà on Thursday as he chaired a meeting of the project’s working group.

Focusing on bidding and selecting contractors for the airport’s fourth component project, the working team stressed comprehensiveness in the airport’s design and operations, with the aim of it becoming a key regional transportation hub. 

This component project includes cargo terminals, aviation logistics areas, aircraft maintenance areas, catering services and airline operations centres. 

Deputy PM Hà said that the bidding packages should be reviewed and evaluated by international consultants with substantial knowledge about a world-class airport’s comprehensive technology, design and operations. 

Investors must ensure coherence in planning to accommodate the needs of all airlines and Vietnamese contractors are encouraged. 

Evaluation criteria will be applied accordingly to the project’s operation stages, with the investors’ previous experiences in other international airports taken into account. 

The Civil Aviation Authority of Việt Nam (CAAV) has completed the bidding documents, as well as the appraisals for catering service bidding packages. 

Bidding packages for other sub-projects on maintenance areas for aircraft and ground equipment, alongside airline operations centres, are ongoing and expected to be appraised and approved within this month. 

The key challenge currently is to draft a hypothetical business plan to determine the investors’ contributions to the State budget once the airport goes into operation. 

Emphasising the importance of the fourth component project in the ecosystem of Long Thành International Airport, Deputy PM Hà said that Government leaders and the working group have issued multiple guidelines to the Ministry of Transport (MoT) and the CAAV to address the bottlenecks related to the bidding packages. 

The MoT and CAAV must resolve the shortcomings in capacity and experience, coordinating with relevant ministries and departments to select reputable and capable units, completing the necessary paperwork and organising the bids. 

At the meeting, the deputy PM also discussed mobilising the Airports Corporation of Việt Nam to participate in several bidding packages related to the aviation logistics area, cargo terminals and airport hotels. — VNS