A ground-breaking ceremony was held on January 18 for Phan Thiet airport in Thien Nghiep commune, Phan Thiet city, the southern central province of Binh Thuan.

Phan Thiet airport, the first of its kind built under the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) form, is constructed in two phases with an initial cost of about 5.6 trillion VND (263.2 million USD). It covers a total area of 543 hectares with a 2,400m runway and a 5,000sq.m terminal.

Once the first phase of construction is completed, scheduled for 2020, the airport will accommodate 300 passengers each hour, or 5,000 per year, and handle 10,000 tonnes of goods annually.

At the end of the second phase of construction in 2030, the airport will be capable of serving 1 million passengers and 50,000 tonnes of goods every year.

Addressing at the event, Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai stressed the importance of the airport to economic development and security-defence.

Le Tien Phuong, Chairman of the Binh Thuan provincial People’s Committee, highlighted the airport’s role in boosting the province’s socio-economic development and security-defence, saying that the project is expected to attract more investors and tourists to the locality.

Once completed, the airport will offer flights between Phan Thiet and Tan Son Nhat Airport in Ho Chi Minh City, Cam Ranh in Khanh Hoa province, Buon Ma Thuot in Dak Lak, Phu Quoc in Kien Giang, and Da Nang city.

VNA