VietNamNet Bridge – The Ministry of Transport has approved the use of electric cars on a trial basis at the Noi Bai International Airport to help passengers move between terminals easily.

The Ministry of Transport has approved the use of electric cars on a trial basis at the Noi Bai International Airport to help passengers move between terminals easily.— Photo citinews

The initiative, which was proposed by the Civil Aviation Administration of Viet Nam, will see the introduction of electric cars on the airport grounds, which will carry passengers and airport staff between Terminal T1, the expanded Terminal T1 and Terminal T2, when it becomes operational by the end of this year.

Lai Xuan Thanh, director of the Civil Aviation Administration of Viet Nam, said the use of electric vehicles would help curb illegal taxis and motorbike taxis that cheat and overcharge passengers. They would also provide security and protect the environment of the airport.

He noted that the need to move between terminals is quite high for both the passengers and airport personnel.

However, due to ministry regulations, there are restrictions on the vehicles allowed inside the airport grounds.

Since most vehicles are also restricted to certain areas within the airport grounds, passengers have found it difficult to move from one terminal to another.

The use of electric cars could temporarily solve the problem, he added, noting that these vehicles will be required to comply with traffic regulations.

According to Thanh, the administration has received support from several quarters to amend the regulation, which currently permits only vehicles that have a certain type of licence plate to operate on the airport grounds.

The administration will be in charge of granting certificates to electric cars that are technically eligible to operate on behalf of the airport. The Northern Aviation Authority will monitor the operations of these vehicles to ensure the safety and security of the airport.

Currently, there are 36 domestic and international airlines operating from and to the Noi Bai International Airport.

Last year, there were around 90,000 flights from the airport, carrying nearly 13 million passenger trips and 332,000 tonnes of cargo. Since the airport was receiving an increasing number of passengers, the capacity of Terminal T1 was expanded.

In December, the expanded Terminal T1 officially started operations. It has the capacity to serve six million passengers every year. Terminal T2, which has the capacity to serve 15 million passengers every year, is expected to become operational by the end of this year.

Source: VNS