Essentially, it's about speeding up the process.

On the morning of November 13th, the National Assembly held group discussions on adjusting the investment policy for the Long Thanh International Airport Project. The delegates unanimously agreed on the principle of adding another runway in phase 1 of the project.

Adjusting Phase 1 of the Long Thanh Airport Project: Essentially, it's about accelerating progress.

On the morning of November 13th, the National Assembly held group discussions on adjusting the investment policy for the Long Thanh International Airport Project. The delegates unanimously agreed on the principle of adding another runway in phase 1 of the project.

On the morning of November 13th, the National Assembly held group discussions on adjusting the investment policy for the Long Thanh International Airport Project.

Previously, the Government 's submission regarding the adjustment of the investment policy for the Long Thanh International Airport Project proposed that the National Assembly consider adjusting the scale and implementation time of Phase 1 of the project in the following direction: adding an additional runway (Runway No. 3) and extending the completion deadline to the end of 2026 instead of the end of 2025 as currently stated.

Speaking at the group discussion this morning, National Assembly deputies unanimously expressed their agreement with the Government's proposal.

Representative Nguyen Phuong Thuy ( Hanoi ) believes that adjusting the project as presented in the Government's proposal is necessary. However, she argues that the project has been submitted to the National Assembly for adjustment many times (every 1-2 years), and the need to repeatedly present it to the National Assembly for opinions and decisions on specific details has led to prolonged project timelines. Therefore, when amending the Law on Public Investment in the future, according to the decentralization and delegation of power, the Government should be given more flexibility in making decisions.

Representative Huynh Thanh Chung (Binh Phuoc) also argued that adding another runway in phase 1 is essential for socio-economic development, as well as ensuring safety and continuous operation (when one runway is under maintenance, another will be operational). The funding plan has also been carefully calculated and will not affect the total investment.

However, delegates suggested that the Ministry of Transport and the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) should consider contingency funds. Accordingly, the funds for constructing the additional runway will partly come from the contingency fund. Therefore, if during the implementation of the approved items, there are changes in scale, technology, etc., there will no longer be contingency funds available to address the issue.

Representative Huynh Thanh Chung suggested that the draft resolution should clearly state the priority of maximizing the use of contingency funds to build additional runways, but in cases of force majeure, the government should be allowed to supplement the budget.

Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Do Duc Duy.

Regarding this project, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Do Duc Duy said that, according to the design, by the time of completion, Long Thanh airport will have 4 runways, which are designed to meet international standards and can handle simultaneous takeoffs and landings.

Currently, Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat international airports have two runways, but the distance between them is not large enough, making simultaneous takeoffs and landings impossible. This results in waiting times, sometimes lasting 5-10 minutes, causing inefficiency.

A practical review shows that Phase 1 of the Long Thanh airport project is suitable for the construction of Runway 3. Delaying the construction until Phase 3, as currently planned, would affect operations, cause noise pollution, and compromise safety for Runway 1 during operation. Furthermore, the funding has been carefully calculated (using savings from other contract packages and contingency funds).

"While it sounds complicated to say we're adjusting the project, in reality, it's about accelerating the project's progress. We hope the National Assembly will acknowledge the government's efforts," the Minister said.

Expanding the scope of discussion regarding adjustments to the Long Thanh airport project, delegate Huynh Thanh Chung (Binh Phuoc) suggested that the Ministry of Transport and ACV should carefully study the internal transportation plan of Long Thanh airport to ensure connectivity with other terminals.

"If the internal planning of Long Thanh Airport lacks internal transportation routes to other terminals, requiring passengers to check out before moving to other terminals, it will cause inconvenience for customers and deprive Vietnam of its competitive advantage. I propose that the Ministry of Transport and ACV study the addition of tram and bus routes connecting Long Thanh International Terminal with the railway station and other terminals, based on security control mechanisms. Only then will Long Thanh Airport become a regional passenger transit hub," suggested delegate Huynh Thanh Chung.

Source: https://baodautu.vn/dieu-chinh-giai-doan-1-du-an-san-bay-long-thanh-thuc-chat-la-day-nhanh-tien-do-d229919.html