Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Unless Hanoi's authorities restructure Noi Bai International Airport soon, it will faceserious overloading over the next few years, Minister of Transport Truong QuangNghia warned at a recent meeting.

Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee NguyenDuc Chung committed to put forward about 30 billion VND (1.3 million USD) forthe re-planning of Noi Bai airport.

General Director of the Civil AviationAuthority of Vietnam (CAAV) Dinh Viet Thang said the Noi Bai International Airportnow has two runways. The T1 domestic terminal expansion project, designed toaccommodate 15 million passengers per year, is underway by the AirportsCorporation of Vietnam (ACV) and is expected to be put into use in 2018.

At the same time, Thang said, ACV plans toexpand the T2 international terminal in the period to 2020 with a designedcapacity of 15 million passengers per year.

However, based on current calculations andanalysis, aviation experts estimate that the Noi Bai Airport should be expanded toaccommodate capacity of 45 million passengers per year, not just the 30 millionprojected by the two projects above.

According to the plans, the airplaneparking area now has 71 parking spaces. Airport authorities plan to expand thisto 86 spaces in the near future.

According to CAAV General Director Thang,at present, the Noi Bai airport receives 25 million passengers every year. Thefigure is estimated to grow to 34.5 million passengers in 2020, 54 million in2025, and 65 million in 2030.

He also expressed his opinion that theGovernment-approved master plan in 2009 for the development of the country’saviation industry by 2020 with a vision towards 2030 was no longer appropriatefor the current situation. This master plan predicted that by 2030, the Noi Baiairport would reach 50 million passengers per year.

The Ministry of Transport allows the Noi BaiInternational Airport to hire foreign consultant units to review and developplans to raise the airport’s capacity to 80-100 million passengers per year inthe long-term development project.

With current trends, Thang said that it wasnecessary to expand the Noi Bai airport’s infrastructure in order to meet anincreased capacity of 80-100 million passengers per year in the future.

The CAAV General Director also proposesthat the Ministry of Transport and Hanoi People’s Committee unanimously draw upplans for land fund for resettlement areas and plans for compensation and siteclearance to implement the expansion.-VNA