HCMC – The expansion of the airport on Con Dao Island off Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province is slated to begin in 2023 for completion in 2024, according to the Ministry of Transport.
The ministry has assigned the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) and the relevant agencies to complete a pre-feasibility study for upgrading the runways, the terminal and aprons at the Con Dao airport.
The plan is expected to be approved in next month.
The Vietnam Air Traffic Management Corporation has begun the planning stage for building an air traffic control tower and an automatic weather observation system at the airport. The construction will be completed in the first quarter of 2024.
As planned, the airport will be expanded to handle two million people annually, five times the current capacity. Its enlarged runway, which will be 15 meters longer and five meters wider, can serve the A320/321 aircraft and alike.
Signal lights and technical facilities will be installed so the airport can operate at night.
CAAV said in August that the Con Dao airport would be closed from April to December next year for a nine-month runway upgrade.
The project costs around VND1,590 billion, funded by the central budget and CAAV.
In response, the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau recommended increasing the frequency of helicopter flights from the mainland to Con Dao Island. In addition, passengers can take high-speed and conventional boats.
Con Dao Island welcomed 400,000 tourists in 2019, a 37% increase over the previous year, the local media reported.
The airport was first constructed by the French and upgraded for commercial use in 2003.
It now only serves ATR 72 and other small aircraft and is closed at night due to a lack of runway lighting.
