Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has approved in principle a master planfor the Long Thanh International Airport in the southeasternprovince of Dong Nai .
The plan, submitted by the Ministry of Construction, was made by the Japan Airport Consultancy Company (JAC) in December 2010.
It envisages that the 5,000-ha Long Thanh International Airportin Long Thanh district will be built in three phases and completed by2035.
In the first phase to 2020, the airport will have tworunways and be able to accommodate the largest passenger aircraftcurrently flying, including the Airbus A380. By then, it will be able tohandle 25 million passengers and 1.2 million tonnes of cargo a year.
In the second phase that ends in 2030, the airport will have threerunways and improve its capacity to handling 50 million passengers and1.5 million tonnes of cargo a year.
In the third phase after 2030,the airport will have four runways and the capacity to serve 100 millionpassengers and handle five million tonnes of cargo a year.
TheMinistry of Construction estimates that the first phase will cost about6.7 billion USD, including 696.5 million USD for land clearancecompensation.
In the master plan, the ministry proposed that theinvestment capital for building the airport's taking-off and landingareas as well as roads linking to the airport is generated from theState budget, Government bonds and Official Development Assistance (ODA)loans.
The investment capital for building the airport's passengerand cargo terminals, parking lots and entertainment areas would bemobilised from investors and public-private partnerships, the ministrysaid.
Regarding the planning of roads and railway routes that linkto the airport, the ministry envisages that the airport's southwestgateway will be connected with the Bien Hoa – Vung Tau Expressway andthe airport's northeast gateway will be linked with the HCM City 'sRing Road No 4.
Meanwhile, the HCM City- Nha Trang Express Railwayand the Thu Thiem – Long Thanh Urban Railway will be linked to theairport's passenger terminal via an underground station.
The LongThanh International Airport will be located about 40km from HCMCity and 43km from the Tan Son Nhat International Airport .
The ministry also plans that the Tan Son NhatInternational Airport will continue operating after the new oneopens in Dong Nai.
In 2020-35, the Long Thanh InternationalAirport will receive 90 percent of international flights and 20 percentof local flights while the Tan Son Nhat International Airportwill receive 10 percent of international flights and 80 percent oflocal flights in the southern region.
After 2035, the operationscale of the Tan Son Nhat International Airport will beadjusted based on actual conditions and it will be used as a standbyairport. /.