5 Vietnamese airports set for upgrades, expansion to boost capacity

Cat Bi Airport

The Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV), which operates all commercial airports in the country, plans to start construction of a passenger terminal (T2) at Cat Bi International Airport in the northern port city of Hai Phong in June. It will have a capacity of five million passengers a year and the construction will also include supporting infrastructure such as a technical building, roads, parking areas, sewage treatment facilities, a toll station, security fences, and lighting and drainage systems.

Cat Bi Airport in Hai Phong. Photo by VnExpress/Xuan Hoa

Hai Phong has acquired over 18 hectares of land from the military for the project. Once complete, Terminal T2 will serve domestic flights while the existing T1 terminal will handle only international operations.

The ACV is also developing a new cargo terminal and expanding aircraft parking areas at the airport to accommodate growing cargo demand.

Dong Hoi Airport

Construction of Terminal T2 at Dong Hoi Airport in the central province of Quang Binh, known as Vietnam's "cave kingdom," will start around April 30. The new terminal will meet international standards and have a capacity of three million passengers. Aircraft parking facilities will be expanded by over 15 hectares with four additional parking spots doubling the total number.

Dong Hoi Airport in Quang Binh Province serves domestic passengers. Photo by VnExpress/Hoang Tao

The total cost will be nearly VND1.844 trillion (US$72.1 million), with ACV as the primary investor. Expansion of the aircraft parking area began in August 2024.

Dong Hoi has a single domestic terminal designed for 500,000 passengers per year, and the expansion has become imperative due to constant overcrowding.

Vinh Airport

ACV will undertake three key projects at Vinh International Airport in Nghe An Province -- terminal renovation, parking expansion and runway repairs – at a cost of nearly VND1 trillion ($39.2 million).

Vinh International Airport in Nghe An Province. Photo by VnExpress/Thanh Duy

The aircraft parking area will be expanded and upgraded to have nine spots for code C aircraft like Boeing 737 and Airbus A320, and will cost around VND236 billion. The existing Terminal T1 will be renovated to handle 3-3.5 million passengers annually by 2030, with construction expected to start before April 30 and completed by December 2025.

Repairs on the 2,400-meter runway and taxiways will cost more than VND623 billion.

Work will start in June, with the airport closed for six months, and completed by the end of 2025.

In July 2023 Vinh Airport closed briefly due to repair damages to the runway.

Ca Mau Airport

This year Ca Mau Airport, located in Vietnam's eponymous southernmost province, will undergo major upgrades, getting a new two-story passenger terminal covering 2,660 square meters. It will initially accommodate 500,000 passengers a year and the number can be increased in future to one million. The work will include supporting infrastructure such as connecting roads, a fire station, security fencing, and perimeter roads.

Ca Mau Airport, April 2023. Photo by VnExpress/Anh Tu

A new runway measuring 2.4 kilometers will be built along with improvements to taxiways and parking areas at a cost of VND2.4 trillion (US$94 million). Upon completion, the airport will be able to accommodate larger aircraft such as A320s and A321s.

Originally built during the French colonial era, the airport currently has a 1,500-meter-long runway only suitable for smaller commercial aircraft like ATR72 and Embraer E190. The terminal handles around 200,000 passengers per year. The expansion aims to support regional economic growth and improve aviation services in the Mekong Delta.

Phu Quoc Airport

On March 3, at a meeting held to discuss preparations for the 2027 APEC Summit in Phu Quoc Island, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh instructed Kien Giang Province to immediately attract investments for a public-private partnership (PPP) to expand Phu Quoc International Airport.

Phu Quoc International Airport in Kien Giang Province. Photo by VnExpress/Duong Dong

Sun Group has offered to upgrade the second phase of Phu Quoc Airport and increase its passenger capacity to 18-20 million a year and cargo capacity to 50,000 tons and build a 6,000-square-meter VIP terminal.

According to the Phu Quoc airport development plan, the existing runway will be extended to 3,300 meters in length by 2030. A second runway of similar dimensions is also planned.

The existing Terminal T1 will continue to handle four million passengers annually while a proposed new Terminal T2 will accommodate six million with room for future expansion.

Phu Quoc Airport is operating at full capacity and often overcrowded during peak travel periods.

The CAAV expects passenger numbers to increase by around 8% in 2025, necessitating major infrastructure improvements.