Coastal province seeks 153 hectares of military land for airport expansion

It said the expansion plans have been submitted to the ministry.

The airport has a capacity of five million passengers and 12 million tons of cargo a year. By 2050 it will be upgraded to level 4E, meaning a capacity of 12-15 million passengers and 27,000 tons of cargo per year, and its aprons will be increased from 26 to 35.

The airport currently spans 860 ha, with civil aviation authorities managing only 15 ha and the military the rest.

Province authorities want the ministry to consider handing over 99 ha for aviation and 54 ha for general use.

Phu Cat Airport, located 30 kilometers northwest of beach town Quy Nhon, has a 3,000-meter runway and an apron with seven parking slots.

Last month the province proposed expanding the apron to double the number of parking slots and build a second runway to meet 4E standards to be able to handle large aircraft such as Boeing 787 and 777s and Airbus A350s.

The province also intends to construct a new terminal through a PPP (public-private partnership) to boost the airport’s capacity to five million passengers and 50,000 tons of cargo per year.

Binh Dinh, a rising star on Vietnam’s tourism map, saw four million arrivals in 2019, up 19.8% from the previous year.

Quy Nhon is popular for its sandy beaches with emerald waters and high-end resorts.