(QNO) - In mid-July 2024, the domestic public was surprised when Quang Nam Newspaper and many other media outlets simultaneously reported that Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, during his state visit to India, had personally introduced Chu Lai Airport to billionaire Gautam Adani - Chairman of the Adani Group - India's largest energy group - and called on this investor to form a joint venture with Vietnam's Sovico Group to invest in the development of Chu Lai.
What is so special about Chu Lai that it drew the Prime Minister's personal attention? And this is the answer from the head of government during his visit to Quang Nam on February 8, 2025: “For a long time, I have been very passionate about the Chu Lai airport project. This airport has a very special and unique location, with outstanding advantages in competition and international integration. From Chu Lai airport, it only takes 3-4 hours of flight to reach all the major economic centers of the Northeast Asian region. We have over 2000 hectares of clean land, with no costly compensation expenses. Investing in the development of Chu Lai airport doesn't require a lot of money, while the benefits are extremely significant!”
During these historic days of March, the name Chu Lai evokes a sense of emotion and pride in the hearts of many generations of people from Quang Nam province. Chu Lai - Nui Thanh is the place that commemorates the glorious victory of the army and people of Quang Nam, with a "ring of destruction against the Americans" and the first battle against the Americans, contributing to establishing Quang Nam as a land of "courage and resilience, leading the fight against the Americans" in the national liberation struggle, reunifying Vietnam.
Chu Lai – more than 65 years ago, was the place chosen by the US imperialists to build a massive military base and a military airport with a 1219.2m runway, over 304m access roads, and numerous technical equipment to intensify attacks on South Vietnam as part of the "special war" strategy.
However, after the complete liberation of the homeland, facing immediate concerns about poverty and a nearly self-sufficient economy due to the prolonged embargo imposed by hostile forces, Chu Lai was forgotten and left desolate for nearly two decades.
During the period from 1975 to 1994, in all strategic planning documents and socio-economic development plans of the former Quang Nam - Da Nang province, there was no mention of Chu Lai airport. The area became a wasteland, a grazing ground for cattle by the local population, and scattered patches of casuarina trees acting as windbreaks, outside the strictly protected area of a military barracks serving national defense purposes.
It wasn't until September 19, 1994, that a special and unexpected event occurred: Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet, during his working visit to Quang Nam (September 18 and 19), personally inspected Chu Lai Airport! According to documents from the Provincial Party Committee, this inspection by the Prime Minister was part of the Government's planned projects to attract joint ventures and investment partnerships.
This event can be said to be the first time that the restoration and development of Chu Lai Airport has been given attention; and even more impressively, it is the attention of the Government!
In the final days of 2000, a scientific conference brought together many leading experts from across the country to the ancient town of Hoi An to discuss a strategy aimed at transforming the destiny of Quang Nam province – from one of the poorest and most disadvantaged provinces in the country to a strong growth hub in the region and an internationally integrated economic zone. The conference had a very impressive title: "From the ancient port city of Hoi An to the Chu Lai Open Economic Zone today."
It should also be recalled that, in the more than 550-year history of Quang Nam province since King Le Thanh Tong established the "Quang Nam Thua Tuyen Dao" in 1471, the Quang Nam economy once experienced a period of brilliant and prosperous development, with the Hoi An trading port from the 16th-17th centuries being the busiest international trading center in the country for a considerable period, thanks to the open-door policy of the Nguyen lords.
Connecting the past and the present, many scientists and economists believe that with the Chu Lai Open Economic Zone, the ancient port city of Hoi An will surely be recreated, albeit with a new scale and a new mission in the context of the times.
And for the first time, numerous research documents on the potential, position, unique advantages, and prospects of "identifying" Chu Lai on the national, regional, and international aviation map have been published. These documents have surprised, astonished, and intrigued many people.
A dream of Chu Lai has been kindled in the hearts of the people of Quang Nam!
Earlier, in the first year after the re-establishment of Quang Nam province – 1997 – according to later revelations by economist Bui Kien Thanh (former economic advisor to Prime Ministers Vo Van Kiet, Phan Van Khai, and Nguyen Tan Dung), he personally called upon several leading US economic and aviation corporations to survey and cooperate in investing in the development of Chu Lai airport. After conducting research and on-site surveys, the foreign investors were very enthusiastic and expressed their willingness to transform Chu Lai into a world-class international airport!
There must be something very special about Chu Lai that attracts American investors! And that special thing, according to expert Bui Kien Thanh and many scientists at the aforementioned conference, can be summarized as follows: (1) Chu Lai is the central point of the country, with topographical, geological, climatic, hydrological, and air traffic conditions that are completely favorable for the construction and operation of an airport. (2) Chu Lai has a large area, more than 2000 hectares, mostly vacant land, with no costly compensation or clearance expenses, and is capable of developing into a world-class civil aviation center and international transport center. (3) From Chu Lai, it only takes 3-4 hours of flying to land at the largest economic centers of the Northeast Asian region such as Seoul (South Korea), Shanghai, Beijing (China), Australia... (4) Chu Lai is located in the Chu Lai Open Economic Zone, next to Ky Ha and Dung Quoc seaports and economic zones and industrial parks, very convenient for developing airport cities and international cargo transshipment...
According to expert Bui Kien Thanh, few airports in Vietnam possess the excellent conditions for strong development in the trend of international economic integration like Chu Lai Airport!
[VIDEO] - Aircraft lands at Chu Lai airport:
On June 5, 2003, the Prime Minister issued Decision 108/QD-TTg establishing the Chu Lai Open Economic Zone – the first open economic zone in the country. The announcement ceremony, coinciding with the groundbreaking of the THACO Group's truck assembly plant, took place in a joyful and enthusiastic atmosphere, with tens of thousands of Quang Nam residents present. Faith and hope were evident on the faces of many, including elderly men and women who had just left their ancestral gardens, accepting the hardships of their new lives.
Very soon after, in 2004, the Vietnamese aviation industry invested in the Chu Lai Airport Passenger Terminal with a total floor area of 2,700 m² . And on March 22, 2005, Vietnam Airlines officially launched its first commercial flight route: Chu Lai – Ho Chi Minh City and vice versa, with a frequency of 2 flights per week. Chu Lai Airport was officially revived!
However, just like the open economic zone, the initial expectations have not been realized. After more than 20 years of construction, despite being considered the most successful of all economic zones in the country, the Chu Lai Open Economic Zone remains merely an industrial park. The core elements of an open economic zone as initially planned, such as special investment attraction mechanisms, a unique economic development system, and a duty-free zone, remain largely unclear to this day. And naturally, Chu Lai Airport shares the same fate!
However, in subsequent years, other airlines successively opened commercial routes from Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat airports to Chu Lai and vice versa weekly, increasing the frequency of takeoffs and landings, and the number of passengers increasing year after year. But after 20 years, Chu Lai airport remains a small airport, with a capacity of only around 1 million passengers per year, completely disproportionate to its initial potential and expectations.
Chu Lai Airport is currently a 4C-class airport, comprising 3 aircraft parking bays, capable of accommodating A320/A321 aircraft and other aircraft with similar or smaller technical specifications and payloads. The passenger terminal, after renovation and expansion, has an area of 4,170 m² . Its service capacity reaches 600 passengers per hour during peak times and it is capable of handling 1.2 to 1.7 million passengers annually.
During the period 2022-2025, Chu Lai Airport is expected to welcome approximately 800,000 to 1,150,000 passengers annually (reaching 80% of the terminal's designed capacity), and is currently served by four airlines: Vietnam Airlines, Jetstar Pacific, Vietjet Air, and Bamboo Airways.
Over the past period, the Vietnam Airports Corporation has invested nearly 600 billion VND in upgrades, mainly focusing on synchronizing and improving infrastructure, including: installing precision aircraft landing guidance equipment, modern aviation security equipment, and deploying online passenger services...
[VIDEO] - Mr. Nguyen Duong - Deputy Director of Chu Lai Airport shares about the current status and future development goals of Chu Lai Airport:
Since 2017, the government has agreed on the policy of socializing investment in Chu Lai airport, assigning central ministries and agencies to coordinate with Quang Nam province to research and propose planning and policy mechanisms to attract investment.
By 2022, during Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's visit to Quang Nam, the policy became clearer and more specific. Following Notice No. 135/TB-VPCP dated May 6, 2022, from the Government Office regarding the Prime Minister's conclusions at the working session with the leaders of Quang Nam province, central ministries and agencies coordinated with the Quang Nam Provincial People's Committee to implement many tasks, specifically: developing a plan for the socialization of investment and operation of Chu Lai Airport; and the overall planning for the development of the national airport system for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050 (approved by the Prime Minister in Decision No. 648/QD-TTg dated June 7, 2023), which includes the planning for Chu Lai Airport until 2030 with a capacity of approximately 10 million passengers per year. By 2050, approximately 30 million passengers per year...
In particular, the Quang Nam Provincial Planning for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050, was approved by the Prime Minister in Decision 72/QD-TTg, which identifies the construction of Chu Lai Airport to meet 4F standards (the highest level for civil airports according to the International Civil Aviation Organization standards), as a major international passenger and cargo transport center and a large aircraft maintenance and repair center for the whole country.
However, the progress of investment and development of Chu Lai Airport from 2022 to the present has been very slow, according to the assessment of the Prime Minister at a recent working session with Quang Nam province. Therefore, the Prime Minister requested Quang Nam and central ministries and agencies to actively coordinate and expedite investment procedures for Chu Lai Airport, following the orientation of building an airport ecosystem with many synchronized components, including: a modern passenger terminal, taxiways, aircraft parking areas; a duty-free zone, and an airport city…
"Investment procedures must be completed within 6 months, and the airport construction must be finished within 2 years to quickly put it into operation," Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized.
According to expert analysis, the airport city model is a global development trend. In fact, non-aviation services at airports contribute 50% of airport revenue but generate up to 83% of the profit, helping to offset losses from aviation services such as check-in and customs procedures, and reducing airport fees per passenger.
In an interview with Quang Nam Newspaper, Architect Hoang Su – former Director of the Quang Nam Provincial Institute of Urban and Rural Planning and former Chairman of the Quang Nam Architects Association – acknowledged that Chu Lai has the potential to develop into an airport city due to its strategic location between Da Nang and Quang Ngai, making it a potential logistics and high-tech industrial center. Furthermore, its relatively convenient transportation system, close to the Da Nang-Quang Ngai expressway, Ky Ha port, and the Chu Lai Open Economic Zone, creates advantages for trade and production development. In addition, Quang Nam is actively attracting FDI into the aviation, logistics, and high-tech manufacturing industries.
Attracting large economic corporations to invest is the quickest and shortest path for Chu Lai to take off further. The draft plan for the Tam Quang duty-free zone (including export processing zones, export processing enterprises, bonded warehouses, foreign trade warehouses, special economic and trade zones, commercial and industrial zones, etc.) contains many provisions closely linked to the economic activities of Chu Lai Airport. Meanwhile, the congestion at Da Nang International Airport could create an increasingly large demand for air transport and related logistics services at Chu Lai Airport.
[VIDEO] – A glimpse of Chu Lai Airport's bustling operations on March 13, 2025:
In the investment portfolio under the Quang Nam Provincial Planning for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050, Chu Lai Airport is oriented to develop to level 4F. By 2030, the airport will have a capacity to serve approximately 10 million passengers per year, increasing to 30 million passengers per year by 2050. The total estimated investment capital requirement is approximately VND 11,000 billion, including: airfield area VND 3,500 billion; apron area VND 1,000 billion; civil aviation area VND 6,500 billion (this figure does not include land clearance costs).
In recent times, many large domestic and foreign investors have worked with the province to conduct feasibility studies for the construction of Chu Lai Airport. Most recently, Adani Group from India visited to conduct research and held meetings with the leaders of Quang Nam province regarding cooperation with Sovico Group to invest in the development of Chu Lai Airport using the PPP (Public-Private Partnership) method.
Along with promoting investment attraction, Quang Nam is also urgently coordinating with central ministries and agencies to implement a series of other tasks, such as: completing procedures for transferring airport land (approximately over 800 hectares) managed by the Ministry of National Defense to the Quang Nam Provincial People's Committee; finalizing the Chu Lai Airport socialization investment development plan; planning the airport urban area; proposing to the Government to assign Quang Nam province the role of investor for Chu Lai Airport; establishing a working group to handle procedures related to the selection of investors and operation of Chu Lai Airport, headed by Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Tran Nam Hung…
According to representatives from ministries and agencies accompanying Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh during his visit and working trip to Quang Nam in early February 2025, the legal obstacles related to the implementation of the policy of socializing investment in Chu Lai airport have been largely resolved. The remaining issue is to coordinate synchronously to carry out the procedures in order to soon commence construction of this particularly important project.
Thus, it can be affirmed that the opportunity for Chu Lai Airport to take off is clear and concrete. The dream of a regional-level international air transit hub, a passenger transport center with a capacity of 10 million passengers per year by 2030, and even a whole Chu Lai ecosystem, as envisioned by many scientists more than two decades ago, is no longer so far-fetched!
And, more importantly, once Chu Lai takes off, it will be the launching pad for Quang Nam to accelerate and break through!
A dream of Chu Lai is coming true. Very close!
[VIDEO] - Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Le Van Dung shares about the potential of Chu Lai Airport:
When did Chu Lai Airport first appear on the Vietnamese aviation map?
According to military history documents, in early 1965, in southern Quang Nam - Da Nang, due to continuous attacks and resistance from the South Vietnamese Liberation Army in Military Region 5 and the Central Highlands, the US imperialists built an airfield with a short runway to carry out military missions and better protect Da Nang airport. On April 25, 1965, US President Johnson approved the plan to land Marine forces at Chu Lai to build the airfield there. According to statistics, more than 10,925 tons of equipment and supplies were unloaded and moved across the beach to the construction site.
To build Chu Lai Airport, the 4th Marine Brigade of the United States forcibly relocated the homes of approximately 400 Vietnamese civilians living in the area belonging to the two communes of Ky Lien and Ky Ha (now Tam Quang and Tam Nghia communes in Nui Thanh district) to a new resettlement location. On May 31, 1965, US military engineers completed the construction of nearly 1,219.2 meters of runway and over 304 meters of access roads, allowing tactical aircraft to land. Since then, Chu Lai Airport has been on the map of Vietnamese aviation.
On June 1, 1965, the first four A-4 Skyhawks bombers from a US Navy aircraft carrier landed on the runway of Chu Lai airfield, marking the expansion of America's war of aggression against Vietnam. Thus, before 1975, Chu Lai airfield served as an air base for both the South Vietnamese and US armies, used for military purposes.
Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/san-bay-chu-lai-thoi-co-cat-canh-3151123.html
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