Favorable signal for airport investment proposal in Ninh Binh

The possibility of forming an airport, even an international airport, under the public-private partnership (PPP) model in Ninh Binh province is entirely possible in the near future.

The proposed location for building Ninh Binh airport is Ý Yên district, Nam Định province (before the merger) or another location surveyed and proposed by the Ministry of Construction (Photo: AI)

Early lock in potential locations

Exactly two weeks after receiving the direction of the Government leaders, last weekend, the Ministry of Construction sent Official Dispatch No. 6227/VPCP-CN to the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha regarding the proposal to build an international airport and bridges across the Day River and Hoang Long River connecting the center of Ninh Binh with Nam Dinh and Phu Ly, Ha Nam .

Previously, in Official Dispatch No. 5675/VPCP-CN dated June 23, 2025, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha assigned the Ministry of Construction to preside over and coordinate with the People's Committee of Ninh Binh province (after rearranging provincial administrative units) and relevant agencies to study the proposal of Xuan Truong Construction Enterprise on the proposal to build an international airport and bridges across the Day River and Hoang Long River connecting the center of Ninh Binh with Nam Dinh and Phu Ly, Ha Nam; report to the Prime Minister in writing in June 2025.

Outstanding proposals of Xuan Truong Construction Enterprise

In early June 2025, Mr. Nguyen Van Truong, Director of Xuan Truong Construction Enterprise, submitted Document No. 225/TTr-NDXT to General Secretary To Lam proposing the construction of an international airport and the construction of 9 bridges across the Day River and Hoang Long River, connecting the center of Ninh Binh with Nam Dinh and Ha Nam. Specifically, Xuan Truong Construction Enterprise proposed to invest and call for investment in 1 international airport in the area of ​​Y Yen district (Nam Dinh) or a location surveyed and proposed by the Ministry of Construction.

Mr. Nguyen Van Truong said that the unified Ninh Binh province will be the cultural and tourism center of Vietnam in the future. Currently, the number of domestic and foreign tourists to Ninh Binh in 2024 is 12 million, striving to reach about 20 million visitors/year by 2025, so there is a need to invest in an airport in the area. The source of investment capital for the international airport in Ninh Binh is the new Ninh Binh provincial budget and socialized capital of enterprises, not using central budget capital.

In addition, Xuan Truong Construction Enterprise also proposed to work with Ninh Binh province to build 2 main roads from Trang An Heritage Site, Bai Dinh (Ninh Binh center to Nam Dinh and Phu Ly, Ha Nam) with 8 lanes and build 9 bridges across Day River and Hoang Long River, to realize the idea of Ninh Binh becoming the cultural and tourism center of the whole country.

Construction time of the 2 roads is no more than 12 months to complete, hand over and put into use.

In Official Dispatch No. 6227/VPCP-CN, the Ministry of Construction said that the arrangement of provincial administrative units has opened up new development directions, promoted economic activities and transportation services, so the need to plan and invest in infrastructure to develop the local economy and society is legitimate.

According to statistics, Ninh Binh after the administrative unit arrangement is a locality with potential for the air transport market with a population of over 4.4 million people, ranking 6th out of 34 provinces and cities; economic scale ranks 11th out of 34 provinces and cities; the number of domestic and foreign tourists in the first 6 months of 2025 is nearly 14 million.

“Therefore, the Ministry of Construction supports the policy of researching and supplementing the planning of a new airport in Ninh Binh province after the merger,” stated Official Dispatch No. 6227/VPCP-CN by Deputy Minister of Construction Le Anh Tuan.

The Ministry of Construction leader said that the Airport System Planning approved by the Prime Minister in Decision No. 648/QD-TTg dated June 7, 2023 has identified 12 potential airport locations. These are locations that have been studied and have had preliminary technical factors assessed for airport formation.

Of these, 3/12 locations have been coordinated by localities with the Ministry of Construction to develop a Project to study the possibility of forming an airport (Gia Binh - Bac Ninh, Mang Den - Kon Tum, Van Phong - Khanh Hoa) and report to the Prime Minister for approval to supplement the Airport System Planning. The content of the projects has carefully assessed the criteria for forming an airport, ensuring feasibility to supplement the planning and serve as a basis for investment research.

According to the Ministry of Construction, in Ninh Binh province (after the arrangement of provincial administrative units), the Airport System Planning has not yet determined the potential location for airport planning. Therefore, to ensure sufficient basis for supplementing the planning of new airports, the Ministry of Construction proposes that the Prime Minister consider and assign the People's Committee of Ninh Binh province to organize the preparation of a Project to study the possibility of forming an airport in Ninh Binh and send it to the Ministry of Construction for consideration and reporting to the Prime Minister to decide on the supplementary planning according to the guidance in Decision No. 648/QD-TTg.

During the implementation process, the Ministry of Construction will establish a specialized working group to guide and support the Ninh Binh Provincial People's Committee and provide advice on the preparation and submission of the Project to ensure quality and progress. The Provincial People's Committee needs to direct relevant units to coordinate with Xuan Truong Enterprise to inspect and review projects that have been and are being implemented to avoid duplication and overlap, taking into account reasonable infrastructure connection plans to implement the project in compliance with the provisions of law on construction, creating a breakthrough in the socio-economic development of Ninh Binh province.

The leaders of the Ministry of Construction affirmed that the context of the arrangement of provincial administrative units and the implementation of economic development tasks towards the target of double-digit growth in the period of 2026-2030 are factors leading to changes in demand and market share of transportation. Therefore, in the coming time, the Ministry of Construction will proactively review and adjust the planning of the airport system to suit the new situation.

In addition, the Government assigned the Ministry of Finance to study and propose comprehensive amendments to the Law on Planning, and report to the Government for submission to the National Assembly in the coming time. "Therefore, together with the research results in the Project established by the Ninh Binh Provincial People's Committee, the Ministry of Construction will implement procedures to adjust the Airport System Planning according to the provisions of the law on planning to add airports in Ninh Binh", the leader of the Ministry of Construction informed.

Will review and adjust airport planning

In addition to the airports included in the planning, Decision No. 648/QD-TTg has opened up for localities, including Ninh Binh, to be added to the planning of new airports. Specifically, Point c, Clause 1, Section II, Article 1 of this Decision determines: Research, survey, and evaluate the possibility of planning into airports for a number of airports serving national defense and security; a number of important locations for emergency and relief, with potential for tourism and service development, and other locations where airports can be built and exploited; report to the Prime Minister for consideration of adding to the planning when conditions are met, including a thorough assessment of the needs, technical requirements, investment resources, and related impacts.

Point c, Clause 3, Article 2 of Decision No. 648/QD-TTg stipulates: The People's Committees of the provinces mentioned in Point c, Clause 1, Section II, Article 1 shall organize the preparation of airport planning projects, in which the needs, conditions, and possibilities of airport formation as well as related impacts shall be carefully assessed, and maximum mobilization of non-budgetary capital sources shall be made for investment under the PPP method, and submitted to the Ministry of Transport (now the Ministry of Construction) for consideration and reporting to the Prime Minister for decision on supplementing the planning and implementing construction investment when conditions are met.

Previously, in Official Dispatch No. 1100/UBND-VP4 sent to the Ministry of Construction dated June 30, 2025, the People's Committee of Ninh Binh province said that the Provincial People's Committee agreed with the proposal of Xuan Truong Enterprise and requested the Ministry of Construction to consider and report to the Prime Minister for permission to add the international airport in Ninh Binh province (new) to the Master Plan for the development of the national airport and seaport system for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050, and to invest in implementation in the coming period.

The proposed location for the construction of Ninh Binh airport is Ý Yên district, Nam Định province (before the merger) or another location surveyed and proposed by the Ministry of Construction. “Currently, the Southern Red River Delta region is still a ‘lowland’ in terms of logistics infrastructure, with no airport or deep-water port. With new opportunities after the merger of the three provinces of Ninh Bình - Nam Định - Hà Nam, it will open up a new direction of development, with a vision towards the sea, promoting economic activities and transportation services to strongly promote potentials and advantages”, the leader of Ninh Bình province assessed.

It is known that in early July 2025, the Ministry of Construction issued Document No. 68/TTr-BXD requesting the Prime Minister to approve the task of preparing and adjusting the Master Plan for the development of the national airport and seaport system for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050.

According to the Ministry of Construction, the aviation industry in general and aviation infrastructure in particular are highly specific and deeply integrated internationally, are an important part of the economic and social infrastructure system, and are identified as one of three strategic breakthroughs, planned in a synchronous and sustainable direction, in line with the development trend of world aviation.

The development perspective for adjusting the Master Plan for the development of the national airport and seaport system for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050, is to be dynamic and open, creating a premise for socio-economic development, harmonious development between regions; associated with the task of ensuring national defense, security, protecting airspace sovereignty; effectively supporting emergency relief work; synchronously connecting with other modes of transport.

“With the upgrading and expansion of existing airports or the development of new airports, it is necessary to mobilize all resources to invest in developing aviation infrastructure; ensuring the harmony of interests of the State, people and businesses,” stated Document No. 68/TTr-BXD of the Ministry of Construction.

Source: https://baodautu.vn/tin-hieu-thuan-cho-de-xuat-dau-tu-san-bay-tai-ninh-binh-d326126.html