The Van Don International Airport in the Quang Ninh province of Vietnam has opened, with aims to become a gateway for domestic and international travel into the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Halong Bay.
The airport was developed by Sun Group with an investment of VND7.463 billion (US$310 million) and was constructed with the assistance of NACO (Netherlands Airport Consultants), becoming the first international airport in the country to be developed by a private company.
The airport expects to receive an estimated 2- 2.5 million passengers annually for the next two years and five million per year by 2030.
Sun Group say the airport’s main terminal has been equipped with the latest airport technologies and its design was inspired by the Halong Bay. The airport also features a state-of-the-art runway and is capable of serving Boeing 787, 777, and Airbus A320 and A350 aircraft.
“It is the most modern airport in Vietnam. It will have positive influences on the passengers’ experience here in the airport,” said Romy Berntsen, a project manager and architect from NACO.
In a statement the Vietnamese government said the Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc: “highly valued the efforts made by Quang Ninh provinces and Sun Group, affirming the Government strongly encourages the development of private economy.”
Its hoped the airport will facilitate travel to Quang Ninh and boost local development, as the Van Don district has been designated as one of three special economic zones in Vietnam.
On 30 December Vietnam Airlines launched a direct service between Ho Chi Minh City (in Southern Vietnam) to Quang Ninh province through the new airport.
The new route will be served daily with an Airbus A321 and is expected to strengthen connectivity between the South and North-East of Vietnam, as well as providing additional capacity to meet increasing tourism, business and trade demand.
The airport was opened alongside two other infrastructure projects for a port terminal and highway in Quang Ninh, also developed by Sun Group, who said the new infrastructure will play a role in helping the province meet its potential for tourism and create new opportunities for international trade and economic co-operation.
PM Phuc commented that all three facilities are “of significant importance to socio-economic development.”
