People proactively plan when Vinh airport temporarily closes

The need to upgrade Vinh airport

Vinh International Airport is an important aviation gateway for the North Central region, serving millions of passengers each year. However, after more than two decades of operation, many infrastructure items at the airport have degraded and can no longer meet the increasing development needs.

Vinh Airport serves a large number of passengers. Photo: QA

In July 2023, an incident occurred when Vinh airport had to temporarily suspend operations for nearly 16 hours due to about 40m² of asphalt concrete cracking on the runway, affecting flight safety.

Vinh airport runway crack incident in July 2023. Photo: PV

It is expected that from July 1, 2025, Vinh airport will temporarily stop operating for about 6 months to carry out 3 major upgrade projects with a total investment of nearly 1,000 billion VND invested by Vietnam Airports Corporation (ACV).

The main items include: Repairing and upgrading the runway, landing strip and taxiway system: The existing runway, 2,400m long and 45m wide, will be repaired, along with two taxiways, brake strips, safety strips and signal systems. The total investment for this item is more than 623 billion VND.

The aircraft parking lot will be expanded to ensure the exploitation of 9 parking positions for code C aircraft (A320, A321 and equivalent), with a total investment of 236.63 billion VND.

The existing terminal will be renovated, filling in 5 atriums of about 1,189m² and rearranging functional areas to optimize operating capacity. The total investment for this item is 68.36 billion VND. After completion, the service capacity of Vinh airport will reach 3 to 3.5 million passengers/year by 2030.

Passengers check in at Vinh airport. Photo: Quang An

Mr. Ho Sy Nam - Chief Representative of the Northern Airport Authority at Vinh International Airport said: The temporary suspension of Vinh airport operations for overall upgrading is necessary and cannot be delayed, in order to ensure operational safety in the context of the infrastructure having been continuously exploited for many years. This is also a long-term preparation step to upgrade Vinh airport to become a strategic aviation gateway for the North Central region. However, the official closure time is still awaiting a written decision from the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam. In the meantime, the airport continues to operate normally to serve the people.

Proactive adaptation

In response to the news that Vinh airport is expected to temporarily close in the near future, airlines and transport businesses have quickly developed alternative plans to ensure that passenger travel needs are not disrupted.

Passengers check in at Vinh airport. Photo: QA

Speaking to reporters, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Son - Head of Vietnam Airlines Branch in Nghe An said: Currently, Vietnam Airlines operates 8-10 flights/day at Vinh airport, mainly on Vinh - Ho Chi Minh City and Vinh - Hanoi routes. If the airport is temporarily closed, the airline plans to add more flights to Tho Xuan airport (Thanh Hoa province) and Dong Hoi airport (Quang Binh province). In particular, passengers from the Central and Northern Nghe An regions will find it more convenient to go to Tho Xuan airport, while passengers from Southern Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces will find it more suitable to fly from Dong Hoi airport.

A representative of Vietjet Air in Nghe An said: "Currently, the unit is also waiting for official information on the temporary closure of Vinh airport from the Civil Aviation Authority. However, if Vinh airport is suspended, we are ready to have plans to serve passengers."

Currently, Vietjet Air is operating about 10 flights/day in Vinh (equivalent to 20 take-offs and landings), including the routes: Vinh – Ho Chi Minh City, Vinh – Buon Ma Thuot, Vinh – Can Tho and Vinh – Da Lat.

Passengers crowded at Vinh airport. Photo: Quang An

Not only airlines but also road transport units have planned to increase bus routes connecting Nghe An with neighboring provinces and cities with airports.

Mr. Nguyen Trung Quan, a representative of the bus company at Bac Vinh bus station, said: "If Vinh airport is temporarily closed, the demand for road travel will certainly increase. We are ready to increase the number of short-distance sleeper buses such as Nghe An - Thanh Hoa and Nghe An - Quang Binh routes to take passengers to the airport."

Vinh Airport is expected to temporarily suspend operations from early July 2025. Photo: QA

The temporary suspension of Vinh airport will affect the travel needs of passengers. However, with increasingly improved transport infrastructure, especially after the North-South expressway section through Nghe An, Thanh Hoa and Quang Binh was put into use, traveling by road from Nghe An to alternative airports only takes 2-4 hours, much more convenient than before. People can arrange their time to travel a few hours earlier to be able to travel by plane to other provinces.

Mr. Nguyen Van Tung, Truong Thi Ward, Vinh City shared: “My family plans to go to Ho Chi Minh City on the occasion of the upcoming National Day on September 2. If Vinh airport is temporarily closed, we may change our departure date earlier or switch to train or bus to save costs. After all, airfares during the holidays are always higher than normal days.”

The North-South Expressway section through Nghe An has been opened, helping people easily travel to alternative airports in a short time. Photo: QA

When the repairs are completed, Vinh airport will have a more modern appearance, better meeting the socio-economic development needs of the entire North Central region.

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Source: https://baonghean.vn/nguoi-dan-chu-dong-phuong-an-khi-san-bay-vinh-tam-dong-cua-10297324.html