As Vietnam’s southern metropolis seeks solutions to Tan Son Nhat Airport’s overloaded infrastructure, Hanoi now wants to get in on the expansion game.
Hanoi authorities are pushing for an enlargement of Noi Bai Airport in anticipation of a future passenger surge, reports VnExpress. If approved, two more terminals would be added to accommodate 50-70 million travelers a year.
The expansion is part of the city’s long-term development plan for Noi Bai, Vietnam’s largest airport to date with a yearly capacity of 25 million passengers.
In 2016, the airport welcomed a total of 20.5 million passengers, up 20.5% from the previous year.
“Noi Bai currently does not look as packed as Tan Son Nhat. But if we don’t expand it now, it will become Tan Son Nhat,” Hoang Trung Hai, Party secretary of Hanoi, told the news source. He added that investing in the nearby infrastructure and logistics facilities would give Me Linh, Hanoi’s rural district, an economic boost.
Initial planning estimates put the cost of the project around VND75 trillion (US$3.3 billion). Hanoi is hoping to attract private funding for the project, as the city’s budget is currently stretched thin by multiple infrastructure upgrades, such as the upcoming metro lines.
[Photo via Online Travel]
