The path to further development is wide open.

From 00:01 on December 2nd, Dien Bien Airport officially reopened for operation after a long period of construction, upgrading, and expansion. From a small airport only suitable for small aircraft with limited capacity, Dien Bien Airport now boasts a runway length of 2,400m and a width of 45m, meeting the technical standards for Airbus A321, A320, and similar aircraft.

Flights from Hanoi to Dien Bien now take only 1 hour.

The safe operation of large aircraft at Dien Bien Airport is considered a significant milestone in Vietnam's aviation industry, as well as opening up new development opportunities for the economy and society of Dien Bien province. To learn more about this issue, Nguoi Dua Tin (The Informer) had an interview with Mr. Le Thanh Do - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the People's Committee of Dien Bien Province.

Mr. Le Thanh Do - Chairman of the People's Committee of Dien Bien Province.

Reporter (NĐT): Sir, on December 2nd, Dien Bien Airport officially reopened after a period of investment in upgrading and expansion. As the head of the province, how do you receive this event?

Mr. Le Thanh Do: It must be affirmed that this is a great joy for Dien Bien. Before Dien Bien airport reopened, right from noon on December 1st, an Airbus A321 aircraft touched down on the runway, marking a special milestone as it was the first time in the airport's history that it successfully received a large, modern aircraft.

With the upgrading and expansion of Dien Bien Airport, the path to development for Dien Bien in particular and the entire Northwest economic region is becoming increasingly open and bright. We have strong confidence and high expectations regarding the contributions of this key project to the goal of making Dien Bien a rapidly and sustainably developing locality.

The project's completion today is primarily due to the strong attention and decisive direction of the Government and the Prime Minister; the support and guidance of central ministries and agencies, especially the professional support from the Ministry of Transport; and the unified direction and management of the Provincial Party Committee, the Provincial People's Committee, and relevant departments and levels.

In addition, the efforts of the investor, contractors, construction units, and a large number of workers have focused resources, taken advantage of favorable weather conditions, accelerated progress, shortened construction time, and ensured the high quality of the project.

In particular, the project could not have been completed without the support and cooperation of the people in the project area. To implement this project, Dien Bien province had to reclaim over 200 hectares of land from more than 1,300 affected households, most of whom understood the importance and significance of the project and voluntarily relocated, creating favorable conditions for construction.

Currently, Dien Bien Airport has upgraded its runway to a length of 2,400m and a width of 45m, meeting the technical standards for Airbus A321, A320, and similar aircraft.

Investor: Mr. Chairman, could you please elaborate on the significance of expanding and upgrading Dien Bien Airport for the development of the Northwest economic region in general and Dien Bien in particular?

Mr. Le Thanh Do: First of all, it must be affirmed that air transport is of great significance to the development of Dien Bien as well as the entire Northwest region.

To give a simple example, if the travel time from Hanoi to Dien Bien by road is about 10 hours, then by air, this time is only about 1 hour, a reduction of 10 times. This 10-fold reduction is even more significant because passengers will not be as tired from traveling for such a long time on mountainous roads.

Before being upgraded and expanded, Dien Bien Airport was limited in airspace at both ends of the runway (due to mountains), so it could only accommodate small aircraft and only during the day, weather permitting.

The expansion and upgrade have enabled Dien Bien Airport to accommodate larger aircraft in various weather conditions, increasing its service capacity. This is of significant importance to the Northwest economic region as well as Dien Bien province.

Upon completion, the project will boost the province's economy, increasing the total social investment mobilization capacity for the entire 2021-2025 period by approximately 15,000 billion VND. Local budget revenue in 2025 is expected to increase by at least 170 billion VND, per capita income is projected to increase by approximately 189 USD in 2025, and the poverty rate will decrease by about 2% compared to the scenario of completing the airport after 2025, contributing to the creation of approximately 8,000 direct jobs.

Opening up air routes will provide investors and businesses with a stronger foundation and confidence to invest and conduct business in Dien Bien. At the same time, it will impact regional connectivity and development, as well as international sub-regional development.

With its geographical location directly bordering Yunnan Province (China), Phongsali Province and Luang Prabang (Laos), Dien Bien is situated in a crucial link between Vietnam, China, and ASEAN. As the only airport serving six border provinces in the Northwest region, the completion of Dien Bien Airport will enable the province and the entire Northwest region to expand air connectivity with the ancient capitals of Luang Prabang (Laos), Kunming (China), and Chiang Mai (Thailand), fostering trade and tourism development. This will gradually contribute to the goal of making Dien Bien a center of the Northwest region and a gateway for trade between Vietnam and countries in the Greater Mekong Subregion, in line with the cooperation and development orientation agreed upon by the Government and ASEAN countries.

Investor: Given its significant importance, what are Dien Bien province's plans for effectively utilizing Dien Bien Airport in the future?

Mr. Le Thanh Do: First of all, the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial People's Committee have directed relevant departments and agencies to focus on coordinating with the Vietnam Airports Corporation and Dien Bien Airport to organize the reopening and resumption of airport operations, ensuring absolute safety and compliance with the law.

In addition, there are currently four reimbursement projects related to the Dien Bien airport project under the responsibility of the local authorities, including: the airport bypass road project connecting groups 1, 2 and 8 of Thanh Truong ward, Dien Bien Phu city; the airport bypass road project connecting from the road to Thanh Hung commune and to Thanh Luong commune, Dien Bien district; the rural road and drainage canal project; and the road connecting to the DVOR/DME navigation station project. The Provincial People's Committee requests that local authorities, departments and agencies focus on resolving all obstacles, especially difficulties in land clearance, to ensure these projects are completed on schedule and meet quality standards for operation.

In particular, Dien Bien province is also focusing on directing its departments and agencies to develop plans and projects to effectively and thoroughly utilize the role of Dien Bien airport, with a focus on attracting tourism and investment for development.

On December 2nd, the People's Committee of Dien Bien province and Vietnam Airlines also signed a comprehensive cooperation agreement for the period 2024-2028. Accordingly, Dien Bien province and Vietnam Airlines will strengthen cooperation to accelerate socio-economic development in Dien Bien province in particular and the Northwest Economic Region in general.

The People's Committee of Dien Bien province and Vietnam Airlines have signed a comprehensive cooperation agreement for the period 2024-2028.

Investor: Along with opening up air routes, what are Dien Bien's strategies and approaches to remove the "bottleneck" in transportation infrastructure, paving the way for the province's breakthrough, rapid, and sustainable development?

Mr. Le Thanh Do: Dien Bien has a predominantly hilly and mountainous terrain that is rugged and heavily fragmented, with a widely distributed and scattered population, making the development of connecting infrastructure systems very difficult, especially requiring very large investment resources.

This can be considered the biggest "bottleneck" on the local development path because "transportation precedes development." Without good transportation infrastructure, Dien Bien will find it very difficult to attract businesses and tourists, despite its many potentials and resources. Consequently, the province's attractiveness on the economic development map will also decline.

Over the years, despite numerous difficulties, Dien Bien has recognized this issue and focused on developing its infrastructure system, especially strategic infrastructure, exemplified by the investment project to expand Dien Bien Airport and its connecting transportation network.

Dien Bien has taken advantage of the attention of the Ministry of Transport to invest in upgrading and expanding key national highways such as National Highway 12, National Highway 279B, National Highway 6, and National Highway 4H, facilitating transportation connections between Dien Bien and Hanoi, neighboring economic centers, as well as trade with northern Laos and Yunnan province (China); forming dynamic economic zones, opening up opportunities for trade, economic development, and attracting investment.

Investor: Thank you for the interview.

Tran Thao - Manh Quoc

Source: https://www.nguoiduatin.vn/chu-tich-tinh-dien-bien-con-duong-phat-trien-them-rong-mo-a638942.html