New airport planned for Hanoi

Plans have been revealed for a new international airport to serve Hanoi.

Thanh Nien News reports that the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) is discussing the development with authorities in Hanoi, as the city’s existing Noi Ba International Airport struggles to cope with rising passenger demand.

CAAV director, Lai Xuan Thanh, was quoted saying that there is urgent need for a new airport.

“Building another airport is an emergency issue,” he said. “Strong growth in the aviation sector recently has created huge pressure on airports.”

Noi Ba International Airport was expanded in late 2014, with the launch of a new terminal that increased the facility’s annual capacity to approximately 20 million passengers per year. But by the end of 2015, the airport was already handling more than 17m annual passengers, and with continued double-digit growth being forecast, the airport is expected to come under increasing pressure in the coming years.

The new airport, provisionally named ‘Noi Bai 2’, will be developed on a 720-hectare plot of land close to the current airport, which is located about 35km from downtown Hanoi. The project is expected to cost approximately US$5.5 billion, including US$2bn for land clearance and US$3.5bn for construction. The CAAV said it would seek private investment.

Vietnam is also developing a huge new airport near Ho Chi Minh City, which will serve as a major gateway to the south of the country. The proposed Long Thanh International Airport could handle more than 100 million passengers per year if all phases of the project are completed.