VietNamNet Bridge – Southern coastal Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province is planning to relocate its airport from the central area of Vung Tau City to the suburb due to safety reasons and usage inefficiency.

Vung Tau Airport will be relocated to a less-populated area in Long Son Commune. — Photo zing.vn

Vung Tau Airport covers 172ha in Ward 9 of Vung Tau City, which is a crowded residential area. The airport, managed by the Southern Service Flight Company under the Ministry of Defence, hosts helicopter flights to serve oil exploration and exploitation activities at sea.

At a meeting yesterday afternoon (Sept 20), the provincial authority said the airport at its existing location would affect the city’s space development plan and the flights posed threats to the lives of the locals.

The province plans to move the airport to a less-populated area at Go Gang in Long Son Commune, some 12km away from the centre of Vung Tau City. The cost for building a new airport is expected to be over US$1 billion.

According to the provincial People’s Committee, the relocation project has been approved by the Prime Minister.

The province will propose the project to the Ministry of Defence and ask it to come up with a detailed plan. The new airport will be built for both civil and military purposes, with funds coming from the national budget and investors.

VNS