Vietnam upgrades Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat runways

Vietnam has commenced projects to upgrade runways and taxiways at Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat International Airports as their damage could threaten the closure of Vietnam’s two busiest airports.

The ceremony to kick off projects to upgrade the runways of Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat Airport (Photo: VGP)
The ceremony to kick off projects to upgrade the runways of Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat Airport (Photo: VGP)

The runways and taxiways have deteriorated since 2017 as the two airports have been operating beyond their design capacity and have had to handle large-sized aircraft with high payloads.

Deputy PM Truong Hoa Binh said on June 29 that the upgrade work is extremely urgent to ensure the two airports’ safe operation.

Once the upgrade is complete, both airports can handle passenger demands until 2025, projected to be 44 million passengers for Noi Bai and 50 million for Tan Son Nhat.

The Noi Bai runway upgrade project, which will cost VND2.030 trillion (US$87.7 million), will be carried out in two stages, with the first lasting for six months to ensure completion before the Lunar New Year of 2021.

The second phase will be implemented in the subsequent 12 months so that the upgraded facilities can be put into service before the Lunar New Year of 2022.

In the meantime, the Tan Son Nhat runway upgrade project will cost VND2.015 (US$87.1 million) and is scheduled for full completion by the end of 2021.