Gia Bình Airport will be located in Xuân Lai Commune, Gia Bình District, Bắc Ninh Province. Photo baohaiduong.vn

HÀ NỘI — The Civil Aviation Authority of Việt Nam has been given the go-ahead to start planning the Gia Bình Airport project based in the northern province of Bắc Ninh.

The Minister of Transport has recently signed a decision approving the task to work on the planning of the airport project.

The Gia Bình Airport project will develop and allocate space to ensure the airport's growth, meeting the operational needs for special flights and aligning with the demand for cargo and passenger transport.

Once completed, the planning study will propose an appropriate investment roadmap.

The ministry requires the entity tasked with planning to comply with laws on planning and civil aviation, as well as national standards for civil aviation and the standards and recommendations of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

Plans must ensure national defence, security, safe operations and feasibility.

Primary planning tasks include conducting surveys and investigations as well as collecting necessary data for the planning process; predicting air transportation demand; planning airspace, air routes and flight procedures to serve airport operations; and determining the nature, role and scale of the airport, along with key indicators related to land use and technical infrastructure for the planning period.

Other main tasks include evaluating the feasibility of and proposing options for airport planning, including runways, ground facilities and other relevant aspects, as well as studying plans for the arrangement of facilities to meet future operational needs.

The planning timeline is 30 days, excluding the time required for appraisal and approval in accordance with regulations.

At the end of December, the Bắc Ninh Provincial People’s Committee issued a document requesting the Prime Minister to consider approving the inclusion of Gia Bình Airport in the master plan for the development of the national airport system for the 2021-30 period.

The committee also proposed assigning the province to coordinate with the Ministry of Public Security to carry out investment procedures for the project in accordance with the law.

According to the proposal, Gia Bình Airport is expected to have a classification of 4E.

The airport is projected to handle between one and three million passengers per year.

The total estimated investment for the Gia Bình Airport project is approximately VNĐ31.3 trillion (US$1.28 billion). — VNS