HCMC – Traveling by air to the former Central Highlands City of Dalat will be suspended for nearly six months starting early March as Lien Khuong International Airport halts operations for runway and taxiway repairs.
According to the Ministry of Construction, the temporary closure is scheduled to begin on March 4. The decision follows a collaborative agreement with the Lam Dong Provincial People’s Committee to facilitate an extensive overhaul of the airport’s movement areas.
The temporary suspension is tied to critical maintenance and infrastructure upgrades of the runway to ensure load-bearing capacity and technical compliance with current aviation standards.
According to the 2021–2030 development plan with a vision to 2050, approved in May 2024, Lien Khuong is designated as a Category 4E airport by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). This classification allows the facility to accommodate wide-body aircraft, such as the Airbus A330 and Boeing 787, with wingspans of up to 65 meters.
By 2030, following the completion of these upgrades, the airport’s design capacity is expected to reach approximately five million passengers and 20,000 tons of cargo annually. The master plan maintains the existing Terminal 1 (T1) with two million passengers a year while adding Terminal 2 (T2) with three million passengers a year. Looking ahead to 2050, total capacity is projected to scale up to seven million passengers and 30,000 tons of cargo per year, supported by reserved land for further expansion.
During the temporary closure, all civil aviation operations to and from the highland region will be diverted to alternative transport modes or neighboring airports. While this may exert short-term pressure on local tourism, the runway upgrade is regarded as a fundamental requirement to ensure operational safety and expand the airport’s capacity to handle larger aircraft in the long term.
