Le Dinh Tho, Deputy Minister of Transport, said at a meeting on March 19 Tuesday in Ha Noi that the ministry chose the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) because of its experience in the field in Viet Nam. ACV operates 21 of 22 airports in the country and has abundant capital resources.

Lai Xuan Thanh, ACV chairman, said that from now to 2025 ACV would be able to mobilise VND87.5 trillion (US$3.75 billion) to build more runways and terminals at Tan Son Nhat Airport, though the figure quoted, VND62.5 trillion (US$ 2.68 billion), is actually less.

The French consulting company ADPI proposed expanding Tan Son Nhat airport. A 200,000sq.m-wide T3 passenger terminal capable of serving 20 million travellers will be built to the south of the airport.

The northern area of the airport, including a golf resort and 16ha managed by the Ministry of Defence, will be used for a cargo terminal, aircraft repair station and logistics, among other purposes.

The airport aims to have a capcity capacity of 57 aircraft taking off and landing per hour and 50 million passengers per year.

The expansion will increase the airport area by 246 hectares to more than 791ha.

Terminals T1 and T2 will be expanded to serve 30 million passengers a year, while T3 to the south will serve 20 million.

An additional eight taxiways will also be built to speed up aircraft take-offs and landings.

At least 56 aprons will be added in front of the T3 terminal and to the southwest of the airport, increasing the total number to 106.

Last year, the airport served 38.3 million passengers per year, while the original design of Tan Son Nhat International Airport was for only 28 million passengers per year.

The proposed Long Thanh International Airport in the neighbouring province of Dong Nai is expected to handle 60-70 million passengers per year, which will reduce overcrowding at Tan Son Nhat Airport.

The first phase of the Long Thanh airport project, with a capacity of 25 million passengers per year, is expected to receive approval from the National Assembly by October, according to Tho.

Dong Nai authorities have submitted feasibility plans for site clearance of 5,000ha to the PM for approval.

The Long Thanh airport will not be completed until 2025 or possibly even later, which experts have attributed to a lack of capital and slow compensation progress.

Tan Son Nhat will remain the main airport hub even after Long Thanh International Airport in Dong Nai Province opens. — VNS