Travel Radar - Leo Cheung
Is Long Thanh International Airport overdue? Let us find out which 3 upcoming airports are on their way and are expected to be in service in the near future!
Located 35 km south of Sapa, home of Vietnam’s most iconic rice field terrace, Lao Cai Airport is a single-runway airport planned for construction starting in 2021. Being one of the northernmost airports in the country, Lao Cai Airport is designed to be a mixed military-civil airport with the 4C standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) aimed at serving 1.5million passengers annually after its first phase of construction is completed. Whilst the details of the dimensions are still to be released, the airport will be served by a 2,400m runway capable of serving small-medium airliners like the Airbus A320 family and the Boeing 737 series.
Phan Thiet Airport is a single-runway airport currently under construction aimed at serving Mui Ne, Vietnam’s next destination for a beach-side vacation. With just a 20mins car ride from the airport, travellers can access the infamous Mui Ne beach and other close-by attractions. The white sand dune and local seafood are the reasons northerners travel to this city to experience an alternative to Nha Trang or Vung Tau. Planned to be completed by the end of 2022, the ICAO 4E Airport can serve up to 500,000 passengers per year.
Tan Son Nhat International Airport is currently the primary airport serving Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam’s commercial hub. Formerly known as Tan Son Nhut Airfield, Tan Son Nhat International Airport was an important historical military airfield during the Vietnam War and later transformed into a civilian airport. However, due to the abundance of civilian buildings surrounding the airport, Tan Son Nhat had reached its maximum capacity, and only very limited room for expansion is possible. The need for a new sustainable airport becomes imminent for the continuous development of Ho Chi Minh City. Long Thanh International Airport is the answer to replace the ageing and problematic capability of Tan Son Nhat Airport.
These three airports under construction are highly anticipated as their introduction into the industry will undoubtedly stir up a lot of changes to the travel pattern in Vietnam
