24-6-2023 (HANOI) Many aviation experts have pointed out the shortage of small airports and specialized airports in Vietnam, proposing mechanisms to attract socialized investment for their construction.
During the symposium on “Mobilizing Resources for Aviation Infrastructure Development” organized by the Government Electronic Portal on June 23, experts highlighted the context of the shortage of small and specialized airports. These airports serve small aircraft, seaplanes, and helicopters for passenger and cargo transportation, rather than public passenger transport.
Since the issuance of Decree 42/2016, no specialized airports have been constructed nationwide, except for heliports. However, the future demand for helicopter flights, business jets, air taxis, and services in agriculture, geology, training, and sports is significant.
According to Pham Ngoc Sau, former Director of Van Don International Airport, the passenger volume through current airports is around 100 million per year, surpassing their designed capacity. According to the planning, by 2030, the projected number will be 279.5 million passengers, 2.7 times the current volume. The aviation industry is growing rapidly, and Vietnam is one of the five countries with an average annual growth rate of 17-20%.
Despite the high demand, if projects are not implemented by 2024-2025, the airports will be overloaded by 2030. Mr. Sau believes that the most important issue at present is to accelerate investment in airport infrastructure, not only for major ports but also for specialized ones. The transportation sector has been focusing on upgrading existing airports without considering the need for airports that have reached their development limits. It is necessary to design specialized airports to alleviate the burden when land resources are scarce.
When providing suggestions for Dong Nai province’s planning, Mr. Sau proposed that the province should plan specialized airports. While the government plans for large airports, localities should include specialized airports in their overall planning to accommodate small aircraft, air taxis, seaplanes, and helicopters.
