HCM CITY — The southern province of Đồng Nai has decided to hand over 1,165 hectares of land for the first construction phase of Long Thành International Airport in early 2019.

At a meeting with the provincial People’s Committee and agencies on Monday (Nov 12), Trần Văn Vĩnh, the committee’s vice chairman, said that residents affected by the project should be adequately compensated and resettled in a timely manner.

Last week, the Government approved a feasibility report on land clearance, compensation and resettlement support related to the construction of the airport.

To develop the airport project, nearly 5,400ha of land in Long Thành District will be cleared, of which 5,000ha will be used to build the airport, according to the Đồng Nai People’s Committee. 

Besides a large area occupied by the Đồng Nai Rubber Corporation, some 5,000 households with 17,000 people will have to be cleared and relocated. 

Two resettlement areas, Lộc An-Bình Sơn (nearly 300ha) and Bình Sơn III (81ha), are undergoing legal procedures so that construction can start next year.

Resettlement areas will have new roads with lighting systems, greenery, water supply and drainage systems, and water treatment plants.

There will also be schools, religious establishments, and sport and cultural centres to serve the new residents, according to the People’s Committee. 

Since the PM authorised the province to grant a license to build houses on the resettlement areas, construction will begin soon.

Affected households can begin to build houses in the Lộc An-Bình Sơn resettlement area in January 2020, and in the Bình Sơn resettlement area in October 2020.

In addition, Đồng Nai authorities have directed agencies to oversee land speculation, especially in the 5,000-ha area for the airport. 

Đinh Quốc Thái, chairman of the province’s People’s Committee, said the airport project was the largest ever in the province, affecting 5,000 households, with total compensation amount of nearly VNĐ18 trillion. 

Thái urged agencies to report any related issues immediately to the Steering Committee so they can be resolved in a timely manner.

The total cost for clearance, compensation and resettlement is VNĐ22.85 trillion ($978 million), sourced from the State budget.

At least VNĐ4.1 trillion of the amount will be invested in infrastructure in resettlement areas, and VNĐ479 billion will be spent on infrastructure outside the airport.

Some VNĐ17.8 trillion has been earmarked for resettlement purposes, VNĐ306 billion for vocational training and job generation for residents, and VNĐ27 billion for a feasibility report.

Once fully operational, Long Thành Airport will reduce the load on neighbouring Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport in HCM City. 

It will be able to handle 100 million passengers and five million tonnes of freight each year.

Covering a total area of more than 5,580 hectares, the airport will be located in six communes in Long Thành District in Đồng Nai Province. 

The airport’s total investment is VNĐ336.63 trillion, with construction divided into three phases.

In the first phase, a runway and one passenger terminal along with other supporting works will be built to serve 25 million passengers and 1.2 million tonnes of cargo each year.

This phase is expected to be completed by 2025.

In the second phase, one more runway and another passenger terminal will be built to serve around 50 million passengers and 1.5 million tonnes of cargo a year.

After the third phase, the airport will be able to serve 100 million passengers and 5 million tonnes of cargo a year. 

The investment will come from various sources, including the State budget and capital to be raised from investors and the society. — VNS