According to Deputy Minister of Transport Le Anh Tuan, the airport development blueprint is the final one among the 5 major plannings the ministry has mapped out for the transport system of the country. The number of airports in Vietnam will increase from 22 currently in operation to 30 in a near future to serve the country’s socio-economic development, he said.

He asked the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) to work closely with the Ministry of Defence, relevant agencies and localities to implement the planning and propose adjustments in due course.

The official said that in the time to come, the ministry will finalise a project to mobilise resources for national airports and submit it to the Prime Minister.

CAAV Director Dinh Viet Thang said that under the planning, in the 2021-2030 period, Vietnam will have 30 airports, including 14 international and 16 domestic. By 2050, the number of airport will increase to 33, with three more domestic added, including one in the south of Hanoi - the second in the capital city.

The planning aims to ensure that by 2050, 95% of the country’s population can reach airports within 100km and logistics centres that can accommodate over 250,000 tonnes per year will be established at airports with high transport demand. In addition, an international transshipment logistics centre will be built at Chu Lai airport in the central province of Quang Nam.

The development of the national airport system by 2030 is estimated to cost about 420 trillion VND (17.77 billion USD), which will be mobilised from the State budget and other sources, according to the planning./. VNA