Airport operator Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) and local authorities in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue in Vietnam have agreed to invest US$95 million in the expansion and upgrade of Phu Bai International Airport.
The two parties agreed in a meeting on August 28 that the investment would go to the construction of a new terminal and expansion of the aircraft parking space, reported Vietnam News Agency.
The planned terminal, the airport’s second, will be constructed on a total area of 16,500 square meters and will have two levels to facilitate arrivals and departures. The new terminal will include a parking lot and a green park.
The expansion of the aircraft parking yard, meanwhile, will allow it to accommodate eight airplanes at the same time.
ACV will cover the total cost of construction and expansion, placed at VND2.2 trillion ($95 million), while local authorities will provide land for the construction site.
The company said the process of terminal design and contractor selection is ongoing, and development works will likely begin by the second quarter of 2019.
Site clearance will start next month and the cleared land will be ready for development in the first quarter of next year. Construction work is expected to last 18 months.
Once completed, the expanded Phu Bai airport can accommodate five million passengers a year, one-fourth of whom are expected to be foreign visitors.
The airport is the only airline gateway for locals and visitors from Hue to reach Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Da Lat on daily flights operated by national carrier Vietnam Airlines and budget carriers Jetstar Pacific and VietJetAir.
ACV manages and operates 21 airports in Vietnam, including eight international and 13 domestic airports. The company’s headquarters is in Tan Son Nhat International Airport, the busiest airport in the Southeast Asian country.
Photo: Pham hieu 94
