Under the decision, Van Don International Airport is planned as an international airport serving both civil and military purposes, with the aim of building a synchronous and modern infrastructure system capable of meeting long-term air transport demand.
In the 2021-2030 period, the airport is set to meet Code 4E standards of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), operating with an annual capacity of about 2.5 million passengers and 5,000 tonnes of cargo. During this period, the existing runway and Terminal T1 will continue to be used.
With a vision to 2050, the airport will be significantly expanded to reach an annual capacity of 20 million passengers and 200,000 tonnes of cargo. The master plan includes the addition of a second runway, measuring 3,000m in length and 45m in width, which will be located 215m west of the existing runway. The aircraft apron will also be expanded from eight to around 34 stands.
The master plan to 2050 focuses on investment in modern facilities, including the construction of Terminal T2 in the south, with a capacity of five million passengers per year, and Terminal T3 in the north, with a capacity of 12.5 million passengers per year. The cargo terminal system will also be expanded to meet the region’s logistics development requirements.
The connecting transport system is planned in a coordinated manner, with the addition of direct trunk routes from the economic zone to the terminals, each with around four lanes. Facilities serving flight operations, including the air traffic control tower, automatic weather observing system (AWOS), and instrument landing system (ILS), will be invested in and upgraded in line with the scale of two runways.
According to the master plan, the land demand is estimated at around 390.42ha for the 2021-2030 period and increasing to about 488.89ha by 2050.
The approval of the master plan affirms the role and position of Van Don International Airport in the national airport network, opening opportunities to attract investment and promote socio-economic development in the north-eastern region.
