Deputy PM Truong Hoa Binh attends the ground breaking ceremony for terminal 2 at Phu Bai Airport on December 29

The VND2,250 billion (USD97.8 million) project, which was invested by the Airports Corporation of Vietnam, include a three-storey passenger terminal building and support facilities.

The new terminal is expected to serve 2,500 passengers at a time during peak time, and a total 5 million passengers a year.

Scheduled to be completed by the end of 2021, the terminal is hoped to promote links between Thua Thien - Hue with other cities and provinces across the country and internationally.

Speaking at the ground breaking ceremony, Deputy PM Truong Hoa Binh said that PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc had approved the plan for Phu Bai International Airport and the airport would be used for both civil and military flights.

"Like some other big airports, PhBai International Airport has become overloaded and is now operating at 130 percent of its design capacity," deputy PM Binh said. "A new terminal is urgently needed to curb the problem."

The official also asked concerned ministries and sectors to arrange capital for the airport’s expansion project so that it could service 9 million passengers per year by 2030.

Phu Bai airport aims to welcome 3-3.5 million passengers by 2020 and some 6.5-7 million passengers by 2025.

The airport is now able to serve 1.5 million passengers per year and is often overloaded.

CAND/Dtinews