Vietnam’s first floating airport proposed off central coast

The dual-use civilian-military facility will be built through a public-private partnership at a total cost of VND7.9 trillion (US$309 million), according to a proposal submitted to the Ministry of Transport by the province administration.

It will be located in Van Thang Commune in Van Ninh District, 65 km north of Nha Trang City, 101 km north of Cam Ranh International Airport, and 49 km south of Tuy Hoa airport in neighboring Phu Yen Province.

It will require 497 hectares of land.

While the portion to be reclaimed has not been specified, Khanh Hoa authorities have indicated that the entire airport will be on water to avoid residential areas, protective forests and proposed docking zones, which will simplify the process of reclaiming the land for construction.

The airport will have an initial capacity of 1.5 million passengers a year.

It will meet level 4E design standards making it capable of handling large aircraft such as A350 and B787. It will be a level I military airport.

If approved, work will start as early as this year and the completion deadline will be before 2029.

Of the total cost, about VND2.15 trillion will be provided by the government for flight operation infrastructure and land reclamation support.

The private component of about VND5.74 trillion will have an estimated payback period of 47 years.

If it gets the green light, Van Phong will become the first ever floating airport in Vietnam.

Kansai International Airport in Japan was built entirely on the sea but faces subsidence issues.

The Ministry of Transport has said appropriate technical solutions should be put in place and various factors should be evaluated to adapt to rising sea levels in Khanh Hoa.