The Ministry of Transport (MOT) estimates that about 131 million passengers and 2.2 million tons of cargo would go through airports each year by 2020. 

Vietnam is striving for the fourth position in ASEAN in terms of transport output, fleet and airport development.

The 2018 Logistics Vietnam report from the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) said that there are 22 seaports, nine of which are international and 13 domestic airports.

Of these, the Van Don International Airport is the only privately invested airport. However, analysts believe that private investors developing aviation infrastructure will be stronger.

Many provinces are seeking permission to develop airports. Lao Cai provincial authorities, for example, are planning to build Sa Pa Airport in accordance with 4C standards and with total investment capital of VND5.8 trillion. The project, scheduled to be implemented under the BOT mode, would serve 1.5 million passengers a year.

Meanwhile, Binh Thuan province is drawing up a plan on a VND5.6 trillion airport. Vung Tau City in the South is considering Go Gang and Loc An airports which would serve tourists to Ho Tram Strip.

Most recently, Quang Binh province, together with FLC Group, have asked permission from MOT to upgrade Dong Hoi into an international airport to increase the capacity of 500,000 passengers to 10 million by 2020.

Van Don has been cited as evidence for calling for private investment in aviation infrastructure, which requires huge capital and a long period for capital recovery.

The airport is built under the BOT mode with capital of VND7.5 trillion. Though the airport is run by the private investor Sungroup, the aviation service fees at Van Don are still under state management in accordance with the law. 

Van Don, which meets 4E airport in accordance with ICAO standards, is a modern airport with the runway 3.6 kilometers long and 45 meters wide, capable of receiving large passenger and cargo airplanes.

With the total area of 27,000 square meters, it is expected that Van Don will be able to receive 15 aircraft at the same time by 2030, when the second phase of the project is completed.

In addition, new terminals have been built at airports to increase capacity. T1 and T2 terminals at Tan Son Nhat Airport are expected to be completed by the end of this year, each of which would be able to serve 15 million passengers. 

The upgrading of T1 terminal at Noi Bai Airport has finished and the expansion of T2 is being implemented.

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