The Government of Vietnam has announced the start of construction of the $16bn Long Thanh International Airport in Dong Nai province, Vietnam.
The airport, which will be located near the economic hub Ho Chi Minh (HCM) City, is designed to reach 4F level and said to become an important international airport in the country.
The latest move follows approval from the Vietnamese Government for the first phase, which requires an investment of around $4.72bn, of the new airport in November last year. The initial stage of the project is divided into four component projects.
The Long Thanh airport will comprise a runway, a passenger terminal and auxiliary categories with the capacity to serve 25 million passengers and handle 1.2 million tonnes of cargo a year.
The first phase of the project will see the construction of a 4,000m-long and 75m-wide runway, a taxiway and apron system to ensure the operations of airplanes, and a 123m-high air traffic control tower.
It is scheduled to be completed and commence operations in 2025.
Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said: “The Long Thanh International Airport is one of the 16 most remarkable airport projects in the world.”
Upon completion of the entire project, the Long Thanh International Airport will feature four runways and four terminals. It will have the capacity to serve nearly 100 million passengers and handle five millions tonnes of cargo annually.
Furthermore, it is also expected to become a key transit hub for international passengers and the existing Tan Son Nhat Airport in Ho Chi Minh City will be used as a domestic airport.