A corner of Sa Pa town (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung has given instructionto the construction of Sa Pa airport in the northwestern mountainous provinceof Lao Cai.
Accordingly, the Ministry of Transport is responsible for working to approvethe detailed planning for the airport, laying a basis for the project to beimplemented.
The local People’s Committee should coordinate with the transport ministry andcompetent agencies to construct the airport in line with current regulations.
Last year, Lao Cai province proposed the transport ministry build an airport inSa Pa with a total investment of nearly 5.8 trillion VND (249 million USD).
Under the plan, Sapa Airport, located in Cam Con Commune,Bao Yen District, Lao Cai province will use 371 ha of land and be used for bothcommercial and military purposes.
The construction of Sapa Airport will be divided into two phases.
In the first, expected to begin before 2020, the airport targets acapacity of 560,000 passengers and 600 tonnes of cargo per year. Aircraft,including A320, A321 and equivalent, will be able to land in two locations.Total investment for the first phase is estimated at about 4.7 trillion VND(including site clearance cost of the whole project).
In the second phase, the airfield will receive 1.5 million passengers and 2,880tonnes of cargo per year by 2030. Aircraft would be able to land in fivelocations. Total investment is set at about 1 trillion VND.
The provincial People’s Committee proposed calling for private investments tofund the project.
Specifically, Lao Cai will call for investment of 160 billion VNDfrom Vietnam Air Traffic Management Corporation (VATM) and 1.724 trillion VND fromVietnam Aviation Corporation.
Lao Cai is located on the economic corridor of Kunming - Lao Cai -Hanoi - Hai Phong and an economic belt based on trade development amongprovinces in Southwest China.
Currently, the province’s transportation system incorporates only roads andrailways. Therefore, an airport is considered important in improving thetransportation network, contributing to the diversification of modes oftransport and creating new motivation for the development of Lao Cai Provincein particular and the northwest mountainous provinces in general.-VNA
VNA
