New $7.45B airport near Hanoi aimed to reshape northern Vietnam's aviation network

Presenting the plan to the National Assembly on Nov. 14, construction minister Tran Hong Minh detailed the investment proposal for the new airport, to be built across the communes of Gia Binh, Luong Tai, Nhan Thang and Lam Thao in Bac Ninh Province.

The airport is designed to ICAO 4F standards, with capacity for around 30 million passengers and 1.6 million tons of cargo a year by 2030, rising to 50 million passengers and 2.5 million tons of cargo by 2050.

Total investment is estimated at VND196.378 trillion (US$7.45 billion), including VND141.236 trillion for phase one and VND55.142 trillion for phase two, all funded by the investor through equity and legally mobilized capital.

According to Minh, the Politburo has already approved the project in principle, describing it as nationally symbolic infrastructure that will anchor a major new growth pole east of Hanoi and serve the fast-expanding northern economic region.

The minister said Gia Binh is a strategic step in shifting Hanoi's aviation system toward a London- or Tokyo-style dual-hub model. The new airport is expected to relieve Noi Bai, which is overcrowded and currently unable to expand, and will also serve as key infrastructure for the APEC 2027 Summit.

The airport is planned to complement Noi Bai by leveraging larger land reserves, wider development space and stronger multimodal links. The government expects it to accelerate industrial growth, logistics, e-commerce, tourism and services, while also carrying strategic importance for national defense, security and foreign affairs.

Gia Binh is envisioned as a smart, green and fully international-standard airport, supporting dual civil-military operations and aiming for five-star service quality. Vietnam wants it to join the world's top 10 five-star airports rated by Skytrax.

It also aims for top-tier passenger experience under Airports Council International benchmarks, serving as the northern gateway for both travelers and cargo, and becoming a regional hub for aircraft maintenance in the Asia–Pacific.

The master plan includes two pairs of parallel runways spaced 1,800 m apart to allow fully independent takeoffs and landings.

By 2030, the project will develop aprons for about 83 aircraft stands, along with a VIP terminal apron, a passenger terminal, cargo terminal and maintenance zone. By 2050, expanded aprons for both passenger and cargo terminals will support around 123 stands.

The passenger terminal will be built to five-star standards, with an emphasis on operational efficiency and high throughput. The airport will connect directly to Hanoi via expressways, urban rail and the national railway, and will be integrated into regional and provincial transport networks.

The project requires nearly 1,900 hectares of land and is expected to affect around 7,100 households.

The National Assembly’s Economic and Budget Committees agreed on the necessity of the project but asked for clarity on how the dual-airport model would allocate passenger and cargo flows and manage controlled airspace.

They also supported establishing special mechanisms to relocate affected historical and cultural sites, while urging clear procedures to protect their original elements and heritage value.

In addition, the committees asked the government to define specific responsibilities, timelines, reporting rules and post-implementation oversight for Bac Ninh Province as it handles land procedures, compensation, support and resettlement.

The National Assembly will debate the investment policy on Dec. 5, with a vote expected on Dec. 11.