Amid increased scrutiny of the golf course next to Tan Son Nhat International Airport, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has ordered a feasibility study for the addition of a third runway at the facility.
Tuoi Tre reports that Phuc has asked the Ministry of Transport to oversee the study, which will look into the possibility of adding a new runway to the chronically overcrowded airport.
Mai Tien Dung, a government spokesperson, shared with the news source: "The prime minister has concluded that a feasibility study must be done urgently on runway No. 3 at Tan Son Nhat.
He added, "the study must be done economically, effectively and rapidly. Results of the field study and evaluation should be reported to the prime minister within the next six months."
No details related to the size or orientation of the proposed runway were shared. The move comes as both public and official pressure to do something about Tan Son Nhat's limited capacity has grown, at the expense of the neighboring golf course.
Meanwhile Truong Quang Nghia, the Minister of Transport, told Tuoi Tre last week that it would be unwise to expand the airport northward due to site clearance and compensation costs, as well as increased noise pollution.
He instead suggested focusing solely on the construction of Long Thanh International Airport, a US$15-billion project located in Dong Nai province that was approved in 2015 but has made little headway.
Dung, the spokesperson, affirmed that work on Long Thanh will continue no matter what is done at Tan Son Nhat. "Works on the Long Thang project are underway as scheduled," he told the news source.
[Photo via Photobucket user DH Saigon]
