Airport unlocks northern potential
The expansion and upgrade of the Cat Bi international airport in Haiphong is an essential part of the socio-economic development plan for the north of Vietnam.
Construction of the airport’s new runway, which requires the total investment of VND3.6 trillion (US$170 million), started in March 2013. By year end, the expansion of the runway will be completed and ready for testing.
Operations will commence in the first quarter of 2016, allowing the airport to accommodate B777, B747, B767, A321, and similar aircraft with eight new aprons.
Two other components of the airport’s upgrade – namely the passenger terminal building, financed by Airport Corporation of Vietnam, and the air traffic control tower with Vietnam Air Traffic Management Corporation as the investor – are also on schedule.
Construction of the VND1.6 trillion (US$75 million) terminal started in January this year, and will be finished by the end of 2016. By then, the new terminal will be able to accommodate five million passengers per year, increasing to eight million passengers per year by 2025. Meanwhile, the new air traffic control tower with the total investment capital of VND80 billion (US$3.8 million) is also due for completion by the end of this year.
The Cat Bi international airport upgrade follows the expansion of the Noi Bai international airport, for which a new international passenger terminal was opened in January this year, boasting an annual handling capacity of 10 million passengers.
Once the upgrade is completed, the Cat Bi international airport will be one of five airports in Vietnam where there are direct flights to Europe, joining Noi Bai, Tan Son Nhat, Phu Quoc, and Danang. Together with the Noi Bai international airport, Cat Bi will form a two-leg system to increase the reliability and capacity of air transport in the north of Vietnam.
The combination of all important infrastructure projects in Haiphong, including the Haiphong international gateway port, the Tan Vu-Lach Huyen bridge, the Hanoi-Haiphong expressway, and the Cat Bi international airport, will increase the competitiveness of the north of Vietnam. In total, these infrastructure projects represent investments of over US$3.2 billion surrounding the Dinh Vu-Cat Hai economic zone, indicating the strategic importance of this area in the overarching state development plan.