Hanoi (VNA) – The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) has submitted a master plan for Phu Bai International Airport for 2021–2030, with a vision to 2050, to the Ministry of Construction for appraisal and approval.
Under the proposed plan, the airport, located in Phu Bai and Huong Thuy wards of Hue city, will serve as an international facility within Vietnam’s national civil airport network, with facilities shared for civil and military purposes.
For the 2021–2030 period, the airport is planned to meet ICAO Code 4E standards, with an annual capacity of 4 million passengers and 5,000 tonnes of cargo. It will have 11 aircraft parking stands and accommodate aircraft up to Code E, including the A350, B787, B777 and A320/A321, as well as equivalent models.
By 2050, Phu Bai is expected to maintain its Code 4E classification, with annual capacity expanded to 12 million passengers and 24,000 tonnes of cargo. The number of aircraft parking stands will increase to 27, while the airport will continue to accommodate aircraft up to Code E.
The airport's planned land use will cover 514.28 ha in both the 2021–2030 period and the vision to 2050.
Under the previous master plan for the airport through 2020, with orientations towards 2030, approved by the Prime Minister in 2009, Phu Bai was designated as a Code 4E international airport and a Level-II military airfield, with annual capacity set at 5 million passengers by 2020 and 9 million by 2030.
Meanwhile, the adjusted national airport system master plan for 2021–2030, with a vision to 2050, approved by the Ministry of Construction in 2026, sets the airport's capacity at 4 million passengers annually by 2030 and 12 million by 2050, while maintaining its Code 4E classification.
In addition, the 2023 master plans for then Thua Thien-Hue province and the north-central region, approved by the Prime Minister, outline the development of the area into a major centre for culture, tourism, specialised healthcare, science – technology, and education – training. They also target the expansion and upgrading of Phu Bai International Airport, its cargo terminal and international flight network, in connection with Chan May–Lang Co seaport.
The Hue municipal People's Committee has also adjusted the city's master plan to include the development of a free trade zone linked to Chan May seaport and Phu Bai International Airport. It also prioritises the renovation and extension of the first runway, completion of the taxiway system and investment in a second runway before 2030, in line with the approved airport master plan.
The preparation of the Phu Bai master plan for 2021–2030, with a vision to 2050, is therefore necessary to concretise the national airport system master plan and ensure consistency with regional and local development strategies. It will also provide a basis for investment in airport infrastructure to meet growing passenger and cargo transport demand, promote socio-economic development and ensure national defence and security in the central region.
During the planning process, the CAAV sought feedback from ministries, sectors, local authorities and relevant organisations, reviewed and incorporated their comments, and completed the planning dossier for submission to the Ministry of Construction for appraisal and approval./.
