Concentrate resources on con dao to have a worthy airport

Also attending the meeting were leaders of corporations and groups with 100% charter capital held by the state. On the side of Ba Ria-Vung Tau province, there was the presence of Mr. Nguyen Van Tho, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; Mr. Vo Van Dung, Member of the Standing Committee, Chairman of the Inspection Committee of the Provincial Party Committee; Mr. Le Ngoc Khanh, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee and representatives of departments and branches.

Mr. Nguyen Hoang Anh, Member of the Party Central Committee, and Chairman of the Committee for the Management of State Capital at Enterprises spoke at the meeting.

Multiple Item Construction
Con Dao Airport is a level 3C airport according to ICAO standards. The passenger terminal was put into operation in 2005 with a designed capacity of 400,000 passengers/year. The airport serves 3 domestic airlines, consisting of Vasco, Bamboo Airways, and Vietnam Airlines with 3 domestic routes to Ho Chi Minh, Hanoi, Can Tho, and vice versa, operating frequency is 20-22 flights/day.

In the period 2016-2020, the volume of passenger transport through the airport increased sharply with a growth rate of 14%/year. In 2021, due to the impact of COVID-19, the number of passengers decreased, but it is forecasted to increase by 15%-20% in the period 2022-2025.

Confronted with that situation, the Ministry of Transport has planned for Con Dao Airport by 2030 to reach a capacity of 2 million passengers/year with 8 plane parking spaces, meeting the requirements for the operation of Code C aircraft. The Ministry of Transport also developed plans to invest in airport facilities in the medium-term 2021-2026.

Construction investment items at the port include a new terminal with a capacity of 2 million passengers/year; cargo terminal with a capacity of 4,400 tons of cargo/year; expansion of the aircraft apron to 8 positions; renovating and upgrading the 1,830mx45m runway (currently 1,830mx30m), signal light system; flight management works. Total investment is expected to be more than 3,794 billion VND.

In particular, the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) invests in the construction of parking lots, passenger terminals, and synchronous connection infrastructure. The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam invests in a project to upgrade runways and taxiways. Viet Nam Air Traffic Management (VATM) supports flight operations security systems such as air traffic control tower, AWOS, and synchronous infrastructure. For constructions providing aviation services such as petroleum depots, the Ministry of Transport calls for investment forms as prescribed in Clause 1, Article 48 of Decree No. 05/2021/ND-CP.

However, recently, ACV has proposed to adjust the investment items planning locally. Accordingly, in the short term, it is necessary to invest 5 parking positions for Code C aircraft (2 positions for A321 aircraft, 3 positions for Embraer aircraft); expand the existing terminal to reach a total area of 6,000m2 with a capacity of 1 million passengers/year, capable of operating up to 2 million passengers/year... This adjustment aims to take advantage of the existing terminal, limit construction costs, and will research the construction of a new terminal in accordance with the approved plan when demand increases.

The investment must be synchronous and visionary.
At the meeting, Mr. Nguyen Hoang Anh affirmed his support for the implementation of the investment project to upgrade Con Dao airport. ACV has been assigned by the Government to invest in many major national projects and the needs of provinces and cities wishing to invest in and upgrade airports are also very high. The investment process must balance resources to meet the best and most effective needs.

"With the land marked with many relics and traditions of the heroic and indomitable struggle of the army and the whole country, the construction of a worthy airport in Con Dao also demonstrates affection, political responsibility and the desire to contribute to local socio-economic development, especially in the context of the airport here has been overloaded", Mr. Nguyen Hoang Anh emphasized.

Mr. Nguyen Hoang Anh added that, besides ACV's capital, the project also has many items assigned to the Ministry of Transport related to budget capital. The investment perspective requires synchronous, visionary, long-lasting, avoiding adjustment and upgrading after investment, causing waste. He said that it is necessary to boldly make a big investment to create a work of a lifetime, with long-term use value. Therefore, ACV must work with the consultant to have an overall assessment of all aspects, and soon report to the Ministry of Transport and People's Committee of the province the final option.

Mr. Nguyen Van Tho also emphasized that Ba Ria-Vung Tau province will closely coordinate with the Ministry of Transport and related units to focus on promoting the progress of the project to upgrade Con Dao airport for the purpose of synchronous and long-term development.