Prospects from Thanh Son dual-use airport project

With the Government's approval to include Thanh Son airport in the National Airport Planning for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050 to exploit military and civil ports, it has opened up opportunities to promote investment in the construction of a dual-use airport in Ninh Thuan, thereby creating conditions for local socio-economic development, serving the travel needs of people and tourists.

Based on current regulations, the Provincial People's Committee assigned the Department of Transport to prepare a pre-feasibility study report for the Thanh Son Airport construction investment project, and select an investor after the feasibility study report is approved. Comrade Nguyen Van Vinh, Director of the Department of Transport, said: Thanh Son Airport is a level 1 military airport, with an area of about 22 km2, a relatively large airport compared to airports that have been put into operation for joint military and civil use in the country. The airport has a favorable location to ensure full standards of airspace safety and flight corridor safety, with full infrastructure reaching level 4C (according to ICAO standards - International Civil Aviation Organization) to meet the needs of operating civil aviation aircraft currently in operation such as: F70, ART72, A321, Boeing and equivalent, and can operate flights to a number of domestic airports. Specifically, in terms of infrastructure, the airport has 2 main and secondary runways, each over 3 km long; the main runway is made of concrete with a load capacity of 90 tons, and the secondary runway is parallel to the surface of the clay. The airport also has 1 main taxiway and a system of taxiways connecting the main taxiway to the apron with a concrete surface and 4 aircraft parking positions.

Thanh Son Airport meets technical requirements and the ability to operate civil aviation aircraft. Photo: AT

In addition, Thanh Son airport also has a communication infrastructure for flights; ensuring standard conditions for the use of a shared airport combining military and civilian use to effectively promote existing infrastructure. Regarding land conditions, the current status of the proposed area for planning a civil airport is eligible for construction, without having to clear the ground. Regarding traffic connections, the airport is located right in the economic and political center of the province, has high inter-regional connectivity, convenient traffic for road, rail, and air connections; conveniently connects the Central coastal region, is the gateway connecting the key economic region of the Southeast with the provinces of the South Central Coast and the Central Highlands; located in the key tourism development triangle of the whole country, namely Khanh Hoa, Lam Dong, Binh Thuan, which is a favorable condition for the province to develop in the coming time.

In terms of exploitation potential, Ninh Thuan is currently a bright spot in the field of investment attraction, an attractive destination for many potential investors, with new strengths in renewable energy, tourism, marine economy , high-tech agriculture, real estate, especially the key economic zone in the South of the province is being planned to become a coastal economic zone of the country, attracting strategic investors with many key projects. In addition, infrastructure of industrial parks and clusters, many new urban areas, coastal urban areas are being prioritized for investment, creating new opportunities for investors, businesses and workers to work in the province.

In the field of tourism, Ninh Thuan has a lot of potential and strengths with many new tourism products with distinctive characteristics such as high-class resort tourism, experiential tourism, and ecological tourism. In particular, with a 105 km long coastline, Ninh Thuan is building Ninh Chu National Tourism Area into a key tourism area of the country according to the Government's policy; at the same time, the province is a locality with a relatively diverse and unique culture with many cultural values of the Cham and Raglai ethnic groups with their own characteristics, which will be favorable conditions for tourism development and attracting tourists to the province. According to statistics, the number of domestic and foreign tourists to the province has increased in recent years, reaching an average of 1.7 to 2.3 million visitors/year and is expected to welcome 3.5 million visitors by 2025 and about 5 million visitors by 2030. Besides tourists, experts, investors; It is forecasted that the demand for air transport will also serve the travel needs of Ninh Thuan people living, working and studying in big cities to visit their hometowns; the travel needs for sightseeing, working and medical examination and treatment of Ninh Thuan people to Ho Chi Minh City and other big cities. According to statistics, the number of passengers traveling by road and rail from Ninh Thuan to other provinces and cities in 2019 is about 7 million people. This will be a large market to exploit air transport with faster and more convenient travel time; at the same time, meeting the travel needs of people, businesses and investors from neighboring localities bordering Ninh Thuan such as Tuy Phong district (Binh Thuan), Duc Trong (Lam Dong).

The Thanh Son airport construction investment project aims to meet the increasing demand for air transport, contributing to promoting socio-economic development. At the same time, it ensures high mobility in defense, as well as in rescue and relief work; ensures national defense and security of the locality and region; in line with the planning and orientation of transport development. When the airport is put into operation for air transport services, it will create a breakthrough in the development of the province's transport infrastructure, creating favorable conditions for people to travel within the province and neighboring provinces, investors and tourists to Ninh Thuan. At the same time, it will create a driving force to promote the development of trade, services, tourism, logistics, urban economy, etc.

After the Government approved and agreed to include Thanh Son airport in the planning, the Provincial People's Committee has planned to convert Thanh Son military airport into Thanh Son dual-use airport and bid to select investors under the PPP (public-private partnership) method. According to the plan, the province will coordinate with the Ministry of Transport and relevant ministries and branches to complete the dossier to add Thanh Son airport to the Master Plan for the development of the national airport system for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050. The province will also coordinate with the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam to develop a detailed plan for Thanh Son airport. In addition, it will coordinate with specialized agencies, Air Force Regiment 937 and relevant ministries and branches to implement the project of socializing investment and exploitation of Thanh Son airport to submit to the Prime Minister for approval in the second quarter of 2023.

Mr. Tuan

Source link