The Cat Bi international airport in the northern port city of Hai Phong will extend its access to destinations at home and abroad in the near future, revealed a local conference on April 21.

The targeted destinations include Can Tho, Quy Nhon, Tuy Hoa, Hue, Vinh and Dien Bien as well as China, Hong Kong, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia.

Hai Phong lies in a central position in the northern coastal region, serving as a regional gateway to the sea.

With a synchronous infrastructure, Hai Phong offers road, rail, aviation and maritime transport services, thus facilitating the development of the city and its key economic zone in the region, said Secretary of the municipal Party Committee and Chairman of the People’s Committee Le Van Thanh.

He vowed all possible support to investors, including providing airlines with financial assistance to open representative offices and launch their first flights to the city.

Currently, the national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines and low-cost airlines Vietjet Air and Jetstar Pacific Airlines are offering flights to and from Cat Bi international airport, including five domestic routes to Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Nha Trang, Pleiku and Buon Me Thuot.

The Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam has also licensed Jetstar Pacific to operate a Hai Phong –Wenzhou (China) flight.

On May 12, work on the extension of Cat Bi international airport is expected to be concluded, which will make it capable of accommodating Boeing 777, Boeing 747, Boeing 767, A321 and similar models.

In the first quarter of this year, Cat Bi international airport welcomed 363,600 passengers, up 48.7 percent and handled 1.610 tonnes of cargo, up 15 percent.

By 2020, the number of passengers is expected to reach 2.3 million while the amount of cargo will top 11,000 tonnes.

VNA