Sa Pa Airport to be smaller, cost estimate almost halved

Lao Cai authorities had reduced the airport’s planned capacity by half to 1.5 million passengers a year.

It is set to be built on 371 hectares in Bao Yen District, 80 kilometers from the mountain resort town of Sa Pa.

The airport will have one runway and one terminal, and will be connected with the Hanoi - Lao Cai Expressway by a two-lane road.

It will be built under a build-operate-transfer model.

Lao Cai said funding for the airport will come from the province, private sources and bank loans, but has also sought government money for acquiring land and construction of an air traffic control tower.

Experts have cautioned about the possible lack of passengers due to the airport’s proximity to two others, Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi and Van Don International Airport in Quang Ninh Province.

The northern province of Lao Cai received five million tourists last year, up 18 percent year-on-year, including 806,000 foreigners.