Proposal to add Mang Den and Van Phong to the National Airport System Plan

Perspective view of Van Phong Airport.

The Vietnam Civil Aviation Authority has submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Construction requesting approval for the adjustment of the overall plan for the development of the national airport and airfield system for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050.

Accordingly, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam proposed adding Mang Den Airport and Van Phong Airport to the national airport system.

Mang Den Airport is a 4C-class airport with an estimated investment cost of 4,933 billion VND according to the plan; the total planned land area is approximately 350 hectares.

Van Phong Airport is a 4E-class airport with an estimated investment cost of 9,214 billion VND according to the plan; the total planned land area is approximately 497.1 hectares.

The Vietnam Civil Aviation Authority also requested the Ministry of Construction to consider adjusting the Quang Tri airport's classification from level 4C to level 4E.

With the opening of the Mang Den and Van Phong airports, along with the upgrading of Quang Tri Airport to level 4E, by 2030 the whole country will have 33 airports, with a total capacity of 297 million passengers; by 2050 there will be 36 airports, with a total system capacity of 538.5 million passengers.

The total investment capital required for the development of the national airport system by 2030 is approximately VND 499,619 billion, to be mobilized from the state budget, non-budgetary funds, and other legal sources of capital.

According to the Vietnam Civil Aviation Authority, in the planning system approved by the Prime Minister, the planning for the North Central and Central Coastal regions positions Khanh Hoa as a growth pole and orients Van Phong to become a service and logistics center.

The Central Highlands regional planning identifies Mang Den as a national tourist area and sets the goal of developing infrastructure connecting the Central Highlands and the Central Coast, including studying investment in an airport in Mang Den.

At the local level, the Khanh Hoa Provincial Planning has allocated land for the planned development of Van Phong Airport; the Kon Tum (former) Provincial Planning and the Mang Den Tourism Area Master Plan both identify Mang Den Airport as a key infrastructure project. The revised Van Phong Economic Zone Master Plan continues to allocate an airport functional area, serving the orientation of forming a modern maritime economic center.

The research projects for the two aforementioned airports have been appraised by the Ministry of Construction, and the Government leadership has agreed in principle to include them in the Master Plan.

Based on this, adding Mang Den Airport and Van Phong Airport to the overall airport system plan is necessary to ensure alignment with national, regional, and provincial development orientations; create conditions for attracting private investment, support tourism and logistics, and strengthen regional linkages, national defense, and security in the South Central and Central Highlands regions.

Meanwhile, the upgrade of Quang Tri Airport's classification from 4C to 4E stems from the province's strategic location within the East-West Economic Corridor and the Quang Tri – Salavan (Laos) – Ubon Ratchathani (Thailand) Corridor (PARA-EWEC Economic Corridor), as well as the new development needs after its merger with the former Quang Binh province.

The Quang Tri Provincial Planning, approved by Decision No. 1737/QD-TTg dated December 29, 2023, of the Prime Minister, has identified Quang Tri as a logistics and goods transshipment center for the North Central and Central Coastal regions, creating advantages for the development of logistics, industry, trade, and tourism, and creating a demand for large-scale air transport.

Currently, a multimodal logistics chain is taking shape with expressways, National Highway 1, National Highway 9, the La Lay - Southeast Economic Zone road, and the My Thuy and Cua Viet seaport systems, in which air transport plays a crucial role in the rapid movement of passengers and high-value goods.

"The upgrade of Quang Tri Airport to 4E aims to complete the multimodal logistics chain, create a competitive advantage and conditions to attract airlines, logistics businesses, international aircraft maintenance and repair corporations, and open international routes," said a leader of the Vietnam Civil Aviation Authority.

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