Yesterday, the Transport Ministry held a seminar on the development plan for Long Thanh International Airport which is set to replace Tan Son Nhat by 2020, TuoiTre reports. With a total investment of US$4 billion in its current design, the ministry warned that the cost could rise significantly if the project is expanded.
The new airport will be built over a 5,000 hectare area in Long Thanh Disrict, eventually serving 80 – 100 million passengers and 5 million tons of cargo each year.
Lai Xuan Thanh, head of the Airline Department, said his organization is doing everything possible to ensure the project begins on time, “the ministry will mobilize all possible capital sources to begin building the airport in 2015.”
The new airport received approval from the government in August 2011 with the expectation that it will be capable of competing with other large airports in Southeast Asia.
In addition to the airport itself, Dong Nai authorities have released a development plan for the 21,000 hectare area surrounding the future airport that will include a tourism complex, several industrial clusters, and world-class sporting, education and health care facilities.
Maybe they'll even address the complaints about the high cost and low quality of food by the time the new airport is open for business!
[Tuoi Tre]
