As officials continue to debate the merits of Long Thanh Airport, Tan Son Nhat is set to undergo a major expansion this month.
Related Articles:
- Saigon's Airport Dilemma - Part 1
- The Story of Tan Son Nhat Airport
- Cost Of Long Thanh Airport Balloons To $18.7 Billion
The US$105.8 million project to increase the international terminal’s capacity will begin in a few weeks and should be completed sometime in 2017, reports The Saigon Times.
Once operational, the terminal will be able to receive 13 million passengers per year, up from the current capacity of 10 million, according to Le Manh Hung, CEO of the Airports Corporation of Vietnam.
The expansion is part of a grander plan to upgrade the airport’s capacity to 26 million passengers per year. Together, the international and domestic terminals were designed to accommodate 20 million passengers per year, a number that was eclipsed in 2014 when Tan Son Nhat received more than 22 million travelers.
According to the Airports Corporation of Vietnam, plans are also in the works to expand the airport’s domestic terminal.
As Tan Son Nhat outgrows its shell, lawmakers are debating the construction of $15.8 billion Long Thanh Airport.
The proposed airport, located about 43km from Saigon, would eventually handle 100 million passengers per year, serving 80% of international and 20% of domestic flights to the city.
The National Assembly is expected to vote on the project later this month.
[Photo via DHSaigon]
