Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Airports with modern infrastructure that canserve as international hubs had the potential to become major drivers fornational socio-economic development, said experts at a recent conference heldto discuss the sustainable development of Vietnam’s airports in Hanoi.

Airports that had successfully transformed into international hubs produced akind of ripple effect that significantly strengthened socio-economicdevelopment, said Dang Huy Dong, head of the Institute for Research Planningand Development and the organiser of the conference.

In the best-case scenario, State investment in infrastructure could be quicklyrecuperated while the airports continued to produce economic benefits.

“On the other hand, inefficient investments that lack foresight may becomeheavy financial burdens on the State budget,” Dong said, citing a starkcontrast between Germany’s Frankfurt International Airport – one of Europe’smajor aviation transport hubs - and Berlin International Airport, an ill-fatedproject that just can’t seem to take off after a decade of construction.

International experts discussed numerous issues related to the development ofnational gateway airports and how to secure the needed investment forinfrastructure without creating too large a financial burden on the State.

They recommended the planning and implementationof airport projects must be completed with a long-term vision in the minds ofpolicymakers. The airports must be well-connected with other existing means oftransport to maximise the impact on socio-economic growth.

In Vietnam, Long Thanh International Airport which is to be constructed on theoutskirts of Ho Chi Minh City, has been earmarked to be developed into aconnecting hub. Lai Xuan Thanh, chairman of the Airport Corporation of Vietnam(ACV), said the airport would serve as a national gateway as well as a majortransport hub for aviation companies in the region.

“Of the 22 airports in the country, only three meet the requirements to becomenational gateway airports: Noi Bai International Airport, Long Thanh-Tan SonNhat International Airport and Da Nang International Airport,” Thanh said.

Large airports were usually under the management of State-owned enterprises asthey were not only socio-economic development drivers but also strategic pointsfor national defence and security, he added, saying digitalisation andtechnology were to be the focus of Long Thanh International Airport’smanagement model./.