The Department of Transport at Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province has submitted a report about the progress of Ba Ria-Vung Tau's key projects in 2020, in which the runway extension at Con Dao Airport is one of the most important projects.

According to the adjusted development plan for aviation sector until 2020 with a view to 2030, Con Dao Airport will be used for military purposes and civil services with a capacity to serve 2 million passengers a year. It will cover a 141-ha land and cost VND2.3trn.

On April 20, Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung granted the Ministry of Transport the authority to approve of the adjusted development plan for Con Dao Airport.

Since the project would reclaim 120 metres from the sea, the Ministry of Transport has asked Vietnam Airlines and consultant agencies to review the design plan to ensure that the project meets ICAO's requirements. The design plan will be submitted to the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam and the Ministry of Transport.

Con Dao Airport went into operation in 2004 and was upgraded to receive ATR72 plane and other similar planes. Its runways were 1.8 km long and 30 metres wide. It had three parking lots for planes and a terminal to serve 200 passengers.

In 2006, it was upgraded again to serve 300,000 passengers a year. However, it can only operate for 12 hours a day because the airport is located in a valley with bad weather. Two sides are surrounded by the hills and two sides are the sea and the lighting system is too out-dated for night flights.

In the past years, VASCO has increased the number of flights to Con Dao to 20 return flights as demand is high. The number of visitors to Con Dao Island has grown by 25-30% annually. Dtinews

Why does only one airline fly to Con Dao Island?

Deputy head of the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) Vo Huy Cuong affirmed that the watchdog agency is unbiased when licensing air routes to Con Dao Island.

Images of peaceful Con Dao island taken by foreign photographers

An array of photos captured by foreign photographers during their visit to Con Dao island in Ba Ria-Vung Tau province includes epic sunsets, children playing on the street, and the sky featuring sparkling stars at night,