PM okays Long Thanh Airport master plan

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has approved in principle a master plan for the Long Thanh International Airport in Dong Nai province.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has approved in principle a master plan for the Long Thanh International Airport in the southeastern province of Dong Nai.

The plan, submitted by the Ministry of Construction, was made by the Japan Airport Consultancy Company (JAC) in December 2010.

It envisages that the 5,000-ha Long Thanh International Airport in Long Thanh District will be built in three phases and completed by 2035.

In the first phase to 2020, the airport will have two runways and be able to accommodate the largest passenger aircraft currently flying, including the Airbus A380. By then, it will be able to handle 25 million passengers and 1.2 million tonnes of cargo a year.

In the second phase that ends in 2030, the airport will have three runways and improve its capacity to handling 50 million passengers and 1.5 million tonnes of cargo a year.

In the third phase after 2030, the airport will have four runways and the capacity to serve 100 million passengers and handle five million tonnes of cargo a year.

The Ministry of Construction estimates that the first phase will cost about US$6.7 billion, including $696.5 million for land clearance compensation.

In the master plan, the ministry proposed that the investment capital for building the airports taking-off and landing areas as well as roads linking to the airport is generated from the State budget, Government bonds and Official Development Assistance (ODA) loans.

The investment capital for building the airports passenger and cargo terminals, parking lots and entertainment areas would be mobilised from investors and public-private partnerships, the ministry said.

Regarding the planning of roads and railway routes that link to the airport, the ministry envisages that the airports southwest gateway will be connected with the Bien Hoa – Vung Tau Expressway and the airports northeast gateway will be linked with the HCM Citys Ring Road No 4.

Meanwhile, the HCM City- Nha Trang Express Railway and the Thu Thiem – Long Thanh Urban Railway will be linked to the airports passenger terminal via an underground station.

The Long Thanh International Airport will be located about 40km from HCM City and 43km from the Tan Son Nhat International Airport.

The ministry also plans that the Tan Son Nhat International Airport will continue operating after the new one opens in Dong Nai.

In 2020-35, the Long Thanh International Airport will receive 90 per cent of international flights and 20 per cent of local flights while the Tan Son Nhat International Airport will receive 10 per cent of international flights and 80 per cent of local flights in the southern region.

After 2035, the operation scale of the Tan Son Nhat International Airport will be adjusted based on actual conditions and it will be used as a standby airport.

(Source: VNS)