Proposal to soon upgrade Rach Gia Airport, to be completed in the second quarter of 2027

Rach Gia Airport currently has very limited infrastructure, only reaching level 3C, with a runway 1,500m long, 30m wide, made of asphalt concrete, and can only receive ATR72 aircraft and equivalent or lower.

A corner of Rach Gia Airport (Photo: ACV).

The People's Committee of Kien Giang province has just sent an official dispatch to the Prime Minister regarding the proposal to invest in upgrading and expanding Rach Gia Airport.

Accordingly, the People's Committee of Kien Giang province requested the head of the Government to direct the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Construction and relevant ministries and branches to coordinate in reviewing, updating the planning and proposing a mechanism for allocating resources to implement the Investment Project to upgrade and expand Rach Gia Airport and assign the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) to invest in upgrading and expanding Rach Gia Airport, ensuring completion and putting it into operation in the second quarter of 2027.

“The People's Committee of Kien Giang province will closely coordinate with central ministries, branches and ACV to implement the project on schedule,” said Mr. Nguyen Thanh Nhan, Chairman of the People's Committee of Kien Giang province.

It is known that Rach Gia Airport was built in 1979 with a runway 1,170 m long and 30 m wide.

In 2007, Rach Gia Airport upgraded its runway to 1,500 m long to ensure the reception of ATR 72 and equivalent aircraft with a design capacity of 200,000 passengers/year.

With very limited infrastructure, only reaching level 3C, a runway of 1500m long, 30m wide, and an asphalt concrete structure upgraded since 2007, Rach Gia Airport can only receive code C aircraft such as ATR72 and equivalent or lower, not meeting the needs of operating long-haul routes, especially to ensure national defense and security, economic development, tourism and trade in the Mekong Delta, connecting with regions across the country.

On the other hand, after merging Kien Giang province and An Giang province, the new An Giang province will be established, with the new provincial capital located in Rach Gia city, Kien Giang province. With an area of ​​over 9,888 km2, the new An Giang province has the largest area in the Mekong Delta.

Therefore, investing in upgrading and expanding Rach Gia Airport to meet the standards of a 4C airport (which can be developed into a 4E airport in the future) and a level II military airport will contribute to improving the capacity to receive larger aircraft and opening flight routes to provinces and cities, which is very necessary.

On the other hand, Rach Gia Airport is also the backup airport for Phu Quoc International Airport to serve the APEC Summit Week in 2027, so the upgrade needs to be completed early in 2027.

Source: https://baodautu.vn/de-xuat-som-nang-cap-cang-hang-khong-rach-gia-hoan-thanh-vao-quy-ii2027-d315616.html