HCM CITY – Bình Thuận Province authorities have stepped up efforts to speedily acquire and clear land for Phan Thiết Airport.
Nguyễn Ngọc Hải, chairman of the People’s Committee, said the work has been progressing at a snail’s pace, and ordered relevant agencies to quickly remove resolve all problems related to land compensation payments.
The 543ha airport with a 5,000sq.m terminal in Thiện Nghiệp Commune in the north-east of Phan Thiết will be used for both civil and military purposes.
It will be constructed in build-operate-transfer (BOT) mode in two phases with an initial cost of about VNĐ5.6 trillion (US$251 million).
The Phan Thiết Airport will become operational in 2018, initially capable of handling small aircraft like ATR72 and F70 and 500,000 passengers annually.
By 2030 it can handle large aircraft such as A320s and A321s and serve a million passengers.
Bình Thuận has commissioned Rạng Đông JSC to build the civil section of the airport at a cost of more than VNĐ1.64 trillion ($73.5 million).
The airport is expected to bring in more investors and tourists by connecting Phan Thiết City with the rest of the country.
According to the chairman of the commune, Trần Tú Minh, local residents are looking forward to the construction of the airport because while the commune is mainly agricultural it can only grow one crop a year.
“Construction of Phan Thiết Airport will create favourable conditions for Thiện Nghiệp Commune to develop tourism and other service sectors and revamp its production system,” he said. — VNS