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Vietnam is working to expand its largest airport Tan Son Nhat in Ho Chi Minh City to receive more than twice the passengers in the next 10 years as existing facilities have been strained by rapid traffic growth.
The city government has been asked to work with the ministries of transport, defense and natural resources on how to scale up the airport’s confined space by 21 hectares (52 acres) to the east, taking over land now controlled by the defense ministry.
The extra area is expected to help the 850-hectare (2,100-acre) airport accommodate 50 million passengers a year by 2025, compared to the designed capacity of 20 million at the moment.
Tan Son Nhat is already overstrained by the steady flows of flights and passengers. It received more than 26.5 million passengers last year and the number is expected to increase to around 31 million this year, making upgrade an even more urgent task.
Rapid growth of the local aviation market in recent years, with 650-750 flights coming and leaving the airport every day, has overwhelmed airports in major cities and led to regular flight delays and cancellations.
Figures from the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam showed that more than 20,000 flights, or 15.8 percent, were delayed, in the first six months this year. That was up slightly from 15 percent a year ago.
Tan Son Nhat has more problems to deal with apart from the rapid passenger growth, with flooding right on the tarmac and traffic congestion on the streets outside causing chronic delays.
After several changes of plan, Vietnam now aims to start building a massive new airport in the southern province of Dong Nai in 2019.
Related news:
> $178-million expansion project takes off at crowded central Vietnam airport
> Vietnam to upgrade overstretched airport in Ho Chi Minh City
