DongNai (VNA) – The airport system, including Long Thanh International Airport,will play a significant part in making Vietnam stronger in the coming time, PrimeMinister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said on January 5.

Speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony for theairport in the southern province of Dong Nai, the PM laid stress on the basicinfrastructure’s vital roles to socio-economic development as well as thenational defence and security, adding sound infrastructure facilities will helpVietnam attract large corporations who come to make long-term investments.

He moved to state that Vietnam has been praised by the international communityas one of the fastest growing economies in Asia. Last year, the country waslisted among the 16 most thriving emerging economies the world, successfully performingthe dual tasks of preventing the pandemic and maintaining growth of nearly 3percent.

“A bright economic outlook is awaiting us ahead. There is strong confidence ofboth domestic and foreign investors in Vietnam’s post-pandemic economicrecovery”, PM Phuc said.

He went on by underlining the strong growth of the Vietnamese aviation sector,adding Vietnam is among ten countries with the fastest expansion of theaviation market in the Asia-Pacific.

Air travel demand in the southern key economic region is over 65 millionpassengers by 2025, and the figure is said to increase to more than 80 millionby 2030.

Current infrastructure fails to meet the rising demand, he said, describing itas a bottleneck for socio-economic development. 

According to the leader, Long Thanh is among the world's 16 most awaited airportprojects.

With the largest-ever capital investment, the project demonstrates the aspirationand will of Vietnam to move forward, and holds significance to the country’ssocio-economic development, and national defence and security.

Once operational, it is expected to contribute 3-5 percent of the nationalgross domestic products (GDP), he stressed.

PM Phuc lauded relevant ministries and agencies, especially people in Dong Naiprovince, for their consensus in land clearance.

Heordered the Commission for the Management of State Capital at Enterprises(CMSC) to direct the Airport Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) to implement theproject’s three component projects in line with current regulations, keep itsprogress on schedule and ensure its quality without causing waste and losses.

TheMinistry of Transport as well as administrations of Dong Nai, Ho Chi Minh Cityand other provinces in the southeast region must soon have plans forcomprehensively enhancing local transport connectivity with the future LongThanh International Airport, even taking into account the development of newurban areas, service system, and the North-South high-speed railway, theGovernment leader said. It is expected to increase the competitiveness of notonly the southeast region but also the economy at large.

Healso urged local people affected by the construction of the airport to continuesupporting the project and enabling it to be completed on schedule for thenation’s interests while asking Dong Nai to exert all-out efforts to ensurelivelihoods of those displaced by the project.

During its ninth session, the 13th National Assemblyissued a resolution approving the investment plan of the three-phase project.The first phase sailed through the 14th legislature.

In the first phase, one runway with a length of4,000m, taxiways, an apron, and a passenger terminal with other auxiliary workssprawling 373,000 sq.m will be built to serve 25 million passengers and 1.2 milliontonnes of cargo each year. The total funding for this phase is estimated at 109.11trillion VND (4.37 billion USD).

The third component project of the first stage,invested by the ACV and covering essential items of the airport, costs some99.01 trillion VND.

The airport is designed to have four runways, fourpassenger terminals, and other auxiliary facilities to ensure a capacity of 100million passengers and 5 million tonnes of cargo a year by 2040.

Covering a total area of more than 5,580ha, theairport will straddle six communes in Long Thanh district. It is expected tocost 336.63 trillion VND (14.5 billion USD).

Around 4,800 households and 26 organisations areexpected to be relocated to make way for it.

Located 40km to the east of Ho Chi Minh City, LongThanh airport is expected to relieve overloading at Tan Son Nhat internationalairport in the southern metropolis, now the country’s largest airport./.