Liên Khương International Airport in the Central Highlands province of Lâm Đồng. —VNA/VNS File Photo

LÂM ĐỒNG — Liên Khương International Airport in Đức Trọng Commune of Lâm Đồng Province will be temporarily closed from March 4 to August 25, 2026, to facilitate runway and taxiway repair works.

The Ministry of Construction announced the suspension on Thursday, stating that the airport will halt operations from midnight March 4 to 11.59pm on August 25 to allow construction under a project to repair and upgrade its airside infrastructure.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) has been assigned to issue a notice of the temporary closure through the aeronautical information system in accordance with regulations, notify local authorities and relevant agencies, and coordinate the implementation of necessary measures to address related issues during the shutdown period.

Earlier, the Airports Corporation of Việt Nam (ACV) approved the investment project and detailed construction design for the runway and taxiway repairs.

The CAAV also completed the appraisal of the proposal for the temporary closure based on documents submitted by the airport and related units.

Under the airport development plan for the 2021-30 period with a vision to 2050, approved in May 2024, Liên Khương is classified as a 4E airport, the highest category currently applied in Việt Nam.

Following the upgrade, it is expected to handle five million passengers and 20,000 tonnes of cargo annually.

By 2050, the airport’s capacity is projected to rise to seven million passengers and 30,000 tonnes of cargo per year.

During the 2021-30 period, the existing T1 terminal will be retained with a capacity of two million passengers annually, while a new T2 terminal with a designed capacity of about three million passengers per year will be built.

By 2050, the T2 terminal will be expanded to bring the total capacity of the entire airport to approximately seven million passengers per year, with land reserved for future development when needed.

On June 23, 2024, authorities officially announced the upgrade of Liên Khương to international airport status, making it the first international airport in the Central Highlands region. — VNA/VNS