The province, 380 kilometers to the northwest of Hanoi, said some investors have expressed interest in building the airport.
It will be built under public-private partnership, the province People’s Committee added.
The Lai Chau Airport project was outlined in the 2018 Air Transport Development Plan. It will span 167 hectare of land and be located in Tan Uyen district, east of the province’s capital town.
Currently there is only one airport in Vietnam’s northwest region, the Dien Bien Airport, and the Ministry of Transportation eyes adding four by 2030.
Lai Chau is a mountainous province that shares 265 kilometers of border with China, and only connects with Hanoi via National Highway 32.
The route is prone to landslides in rainy seasons.
Vietnam currently has 22 civilian airports, including 10 international air hubs. Tan Son Nhat in HCMC and Noi Bai in Hanoi are the country’s two biggest airports.