Lien Khuong Airport becomes the first international airport in the Central Highlands region.

Mr. Pham S, Vice Chairman of Lam Dong Provincial People's Committee, said that after many efforts from Lam Dong provincial government and related units, on the morning of June 23, the province will organize the announcement of Lien Khuong Airport becoming an international airport.

Cảng hàng không Liên Khương trở thành cảng hàng không quốc tế đầu tiên vùng Tây nguyên- Ảnh 1. — Lien Khuong Airport becomes an international airport

According to Decision 610/QD-BGTVT of the Ministry of Transport dated May 17, 2024 on approving the planning of Lien Khuong airport for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050, Lien Khuong airport is an international port, an airport for shared civil and military use.

According to Decision No. 648/QD-TTg dated June 7, 2023 of the Prime Minister , Lien Khuong airport is planned to have an area of nearly 341 hectares by 2030, and by 2050, this airport will have an area of nearly 487 hectares, welcoming 5 million tourists.

Lien Khuong International Airport in Lien Nghia Town, Duc Trong District, 28 km from Da Lat City, Lien Khuong Airport becoming an international airport is not only the expectation of authorities at all levels and people of Lam Dong Province but also the expectation of domestic and international travel companies, especially international tourists who love Da Lat.

Cảng hàng không Liên Khương trở thành cảng hàng không quốc tế đầu tiên vùng Tây nguyên- Ảnh 2. — Tourists from Thailand arrive at Lien Khuong airport

Mr. Pham S said that this is considered an extremely important boost to contribute to the development of the tourism industry of Lam Dong province in particular and the Central Highlands in general. After landing, visitors to Da Lat are only about 28 km away, and can travel to the Central Highlands, Ninh Thuan, and Binh Thuan provinces very conveniently.

According to Mr. Pham S, Lien Khuong airport has a long history not only in Vietnam but also internationally. Lien Khuong airport started construction in 1933, and operated under French management, under the name Lien Khanh airport. More than 20 years later, this airport was taken over by the Americans, repaired and upgraded for the first time and renamed Lien Khuong airport.

During the years 1956 - 1960, the Americans renovated and upgraded Lien Khuong airport with a fairly complete infrastructure with a capacity of 50,000 passengers/year. It was put into operation on February 24, 1961 and was the second largest international airport in South Vietnam at that time.

During the years 1964 - 1972, the entire runway system (HCC) was upgraded to 1,480m long and 37m wide; the aircraft parking lot was ^23,100m2 wide, and the car parking lot was ^2,106m2 wide.

After April 30, 1975 to 1980, Lien Khuong Airport was taken over and operated by the Vietnam People's Army, mainly serving leaders on business trips and transporting people from Hanoi to the new economic zone of Lam Dong.

From 1981 to 1985, Lien Khuong Airport operated passenger transport services on the Ho Chi Minh City - Lien Khuong route with a frequency of 1 flight/week using AK.40 aircraft. However, the route was later temporarily suspended due to low passenger numbers.

Cảng hàng không Liên Khương trở thành cảng hàng không quốc tế đầu tiên vùng Tây nguyên- Ảnh 3. — In recent years, Lien Khuong Airport has welcomed over 2.5 million visitors each year, far exceeding its design capacity.

Since 1992, Lien Khuong Airport has resumed passenger transport services. In addition to the Ho Chi Minh City - Lien Khuong route, Lien Khuong - Hue and vice versa were also opened during this period. The aircraft used was the AK.40 and was later replaced by the ATR.72.

On September 2, 2003, the project to renovate, expand and upgrade the HCC road, taxiway and aircraft parking lot at Lien Khuong Airport was started, invested by the Southern Airports Group. The new runway is 3,250 m long and 45 m wide, renovating the existing runway into a taxiway and aircraft parking lot with a capacity of 6 - 8 aircraft.

On December 26, 2019, the upgrade and repair was completed, Lien Khuong Airport met the 4C standard and the 2nd level military airport, ensuring the exploitation of medium-range civil aircraft such as Boeing 767 or Airbus A320, A321... with the capacity to serve 1.5 - 2 million passengers/year. However, in reality, in recent years, Lien Khuong Airport has welcomed over 2.5 million visitors each year, far exceeding its design capacity.

Cảng hàng không Liên Khương trở thành cảng hàng không quốc tế đầu tiên vùng Tây nguyên- Ảnh 4. — Terminal and parking lot at Lien Khuong airport

Lien Khuong Airport has a unique and impressive architecture, designed in the shape of a wild sunflower with a yellow roof and curved and divided into many petals just like a blooming wild sunflower. The Lien Khuong Airport Terminal project was awarded the first prize of the 2010 National Architecture Award.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/cang-hang-khong-lien-khuong-tro-thanh-cang-hang-khong-quoc-te-dau-tien-vung-tay-nguyen-185240622154305359.htm